Overview
- Chicago edged Washington 121-120 at United Center, with Tre Jones sinking the deciding free throws in the final 34 seconds as Nikola Vucevic posted 28 points and 12 rebounds to move the Bulls to 9-7.
- Vucevic described the performance as soft and below NBA standards, saying the team cannot keep relying on late-game swings to bail out poor stretches.
- Head coach Billy Donovan backed Vucevic's assessment, calling for full-game consistency rather than sporadic surges.
- Six of Chicago's nine wins have come by four points or fewer, the Bulls rank around 20th in defensive rating, and they gave up 41 first-quarter points to the 1-15 Wizards.
- Vucevic's on-court interview showed visible frustration as teammates Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith photobombed, and the Bulls now travel to New Orleans for their next game.