Big Three steps up - 3 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls' win over the Washington Wizards

The Bulls ended their three-game losing streak with a 115-111 home win over the Wizards.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls picked up a much-needed home win over the Washington Wizards to snap their three-game losing streak and improve their record to 10-14. Here are three takeaways from the game.

First half lead

The Bulls' slow start to the season has a lot to do with their slow starts to the games. But yesterday, they finally put themselves in a position to win early on.

Chicago built a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter. They were also up 52-49 at halftime, marking just the sixth time this season they entered the 3rd quarter with a lead. 

The Bulls were up by as many as 10 throughout the first quarter, but 9 second-quarter turnovers allowed the Bradley Beal-less Wizards to get back into the game.

Lot of careless basketball by Bulls tonight. 16 turnovers leading to 26 points so far.

This one was particularly emblematic. Just as it looks like Bulls might pull away, they let Wizards back in. pic.twitter.com/k59QG23gj5

— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 8, 2022

Big 3 steps up

It wasn't an easy game, nor was it pretty. But the Bulls need wins, and they were able to grab one, mostly thanks to their big three.

DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine both added 25 as the Bulls beat the Wizards 115-111, coming off a disappointing 2-4 road trip.

DeRozan came up big for Chicago, scoring 7 points in the last 2:22 of the game, allowing LaVine to seal the win from the free throw line—the Bulls' big three combined for 33 of the Bulls' 35 points in the fourth quarter.

“I think we all just did our job,” LaVine said. “There were a lot of things we could’ve did better in the game, especially the first three quarters. But we all came through at the end, made winning plays.”

Staying locked in

LaVine entered the fourth quarter shooting 4-of-13 from the field. But Billy Donovan never stopped running plays for his All-Star guard. The same goes for DeRozan, who, despite putting up efficient scoring numbers, struggled with his shot early on.

Vucevic, who shot 10-of-16 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds, was the only constant for Chicago yesterday. But everyone stayed locked in and delivered when it mattered the most.

“Vooch played a great game from start to finish. He was really efficient, had everything going. He posted up. He made some midrange and a couple 3s in the second half. But I give DeMar and Zach a lot of credit,” Donovan said. “They struggled to shoot at the level they’re accustomed to shooting early. And they stayed in the game as competitors.”

Next up: the Bulls host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday