Bulls at Wizards
The Washington Wizards look to get back on track when they host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The Wizards had rattled off six wins in a row and needed one more victory for their best start in franchise history, but dropped a surprising 104-92 decision to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Washington hopes to rebound quickly by beating the Bulls for the fourth time in five tries at the Verizon Center and catch the surging Atlanta Hawks in the race for top spot in the Southeast Division.
Chicago scored a franchise-record 49 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Toronto Raptors 129-120 on Monday. Derrick Rose returned to the starting lineup after a two-game injury absence and poured in 15 of his 29 points in the final frame to hand the Bulls their third straight victory. Chicago holds a slim 1.5 game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division and hopes to secure its Eastern Conference-leading 13th road win by beating Washington for the second straight time.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE BULLS (18-9): Jimmy Butler continued his recent tear by collecting 27 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots and four assists in the win over the Raptors. Butler went 11-of-11 from the free-throw line as Chicago finished 43-of-47 for its most makes from the foul line since converting 45 against the Indiana Pacers in 1982. Rose went 12-of-19 from the field in 31 minutes of action Monday while Taj Gibson scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (19-7): John Wall — who is third in the NBA with 10.5 assists per game — has dished out 35 helpers in his last three outings and has finished with 10 or more in nine of his last 11 contests. Rasual Butler scored a team-high 17 points off the bench while fellow reserve Kevin Seraphin matched his season high with 16 in the loss to the Suns. Bradley Beal has struggled with his shot, going 4-of-11 from the floor versus Phoenix and is 11-of-38 in his last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards have won four of the last six meetings with the Bulls.
2. Washington has won eight of its last nine home games.
3. Chicago has won five of its last six outings on the road.