Inside The Wizards

Wizards Defense Leads to Victory vs. Bulls

The Washington Wizards have been better on the defensive end lately.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) takes a jump shot over Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) takes a jump shot over Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are celebrating after a 125-107 win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night inside Capital One Arena.

The win put the Wizards on the right track to start the new year, and they looked far different from the team that started the season with a 3-24 record.

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe was happy with how the team has grown on the defensive end.

“Loved our defensive intensity,” Keefe said postgame. “Our ability to fly around, get deflections, cause some turnovers. They miss some shots they normally make too … but I thought we were flying out at them and then we we sustained a run. We pushed the lead back up um and then we moved the ball … Good examples of how we want to play.”

Playing strong defense is how to build a sustainable product in the NBA, and the Wizards are learning how to do that. It isn't easy to build a defensive identity as a young team, but the Wizards are at least attempting to do so, and that is a sign of progress for the team.

If the Wizards continue to showcase a hunger on the defensive end, they should be competitive in a lot more games than they have been in the first two months of the season. They are beginning to see that first-hand after being competitive in a gaggle of games as of late, and that should help produce more wins in the long run.

For the team's next game, the Wizards will travel to the Big Easy as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans, who boast the worst record in the NBA at 5-29. Tipoff for the game is set for tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET inside Smoothie King Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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