DeMar DeRozan’s last-second 3 rims out, sealing the Chicago Bulls’ 102-100 loss to the Washington Wizards. 7 takeaways from the defeat.

WASHINGTON — The Chicago Bulls suffered their first lack of the younger season Friday night time, falling to the Washington Wizards 102-100 at Capital One Enviornment.

DeMar DeRozan missed the potential game-winner from the highest of the arc within the last seconds, ending the Bulls’ comeback try from a 17-point deficit.

The Bulls (1-1) performed with out Zach LaVine for the second straight recreation because the All-Star guard manages a lingering left knee harm.

Listed here are seven takeaways from the sport.

When DeRozan reentered the sport with seven minutes left Friday, it felt harking back to a fond reminiscence for the Bulls — New 12 months’s Day, when he dropped a 3-pointer for the second night time in a row to win a tightly contested matchup on the identical courtroom.

DeRozan delivered his commonplace magic, scoring 12 factors in seven minutes, stealing the ball for a fast-break dunk and hitting tying free throws and jumpers. However the Wizards had a solution in Beal, who scored 11 of his 19 factors within the fourth quarter to fend off the Bulls’ rally.

Beal and DeRozan traded tying and go-ahead baskets within the last two minutes, with Beal’s financial institution shot with 7.4 seconds left placing the Wizards forward. DeRozan’s last try — an open 3-pointer from the highest of the arc — rimmed out, permitting the Wizards to flee.

“Clearly he made these photographs his complete profession,” coach Billy Donovan mentioned. “It didn’t go in. However to me this was a recreation the place we struggled to shoot the ball. … And I assumed (Nikola Vučević) and DeMar carried us in that first half offensively. It simply wasn’t an ideal offensive night time for taking pictures, however we hung in there.”

Regardless of a assured begin from the Bulls, the Wizards grabbed management of the sport within the second quarter with a 14-0 run. The scoreless stretch principally passed off whereas DeRozan was on the bench, highlighting the significance of the All-Star.

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Nikola Vučević lastly snapped the run with a 3-pointer, and DeRozan helped to jump-start the offense with a vicious dunk on the next play. However the Wizards put collectively one other 9-0 run to begin the third quarter, forcing the Bulls to spend the remainder of the sport chasing the deficit.

“We’ve bought to grasp {that a} workforce goes to go on runs however we are able to’t let it bleed over to 17 factors,” DeRozan mentioned. “That’s only a robust deficit to return again from on the highway. As soon as we notice that it’s a six-point run, we’ve bought to eradicate it from there.”

The primary half was a blueprint of the right way to use the middle most successfully — preserving Vučević lively off the ball, organising mismatches by way of screens after which exploiting to both rating close to the rim or draw fouls. However the Bulls didn’t maintain that model of play by way of the second half.

Vučević scored 15 factors within the first half however solely 9 within the second, six of which got here off free throws. Drawing fouls off mismatches was a key to Vučević’s manufacturing — he went 12-for-12 from the road, a profession excessive.

LaVine missed his second straight recreation as he manages a lingering left knee harm after present process arthroscopic surgical procedure within the offseason. LaVine is predicted to begin Saturday within the residence opener towards the Cleveland Cavaliers however will proceed to sit down out a recreation in any back-to-back within the subsequent month.

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Alex Caruso stuffed in once more within the beginning lineup, however the guard can’t match LaVine’s offensive manufacturing. Caruso scored three factors and added an help and three rebounds, a far cry from LaVine’s 20-plus factors per recreation.

White offered double-digit scoring off the bench for the second recreation in a row, supporting a stagnant Bulls offense with 10 factors. On an evening when not one of the Bulls starters completed with a optimistic plus-minus, White was one of the constant gamers on the courtroom, ending the sport with a plus-17 score.

Though White made two 3-pointers, he wasn’t reliant on his presence from behind the arc to make a distinction. That is precisely who the Bulls want White to be — an energizing presence off the bench who can kick-start the secondary rotation.

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The Bulls went to the road 33 instances whereas the Wizards had solely 11 free-throw makes an attempt. The 27 factors the Bulls earned off free throws helped them maintain tempo regardless of an in any other case off-kilter night time of ending.

The Bulls shot solely 41.8% from the sphere and 25.9% on 3-pointers, struggling to complete for lengthy stretches that allowed the Wizards to make runs.

Williams continued a sample of hesitancy on each ends of the courtroom.

The third-year ahead scored seven factors, which was an enchancment from his 4 factors within the opener towards the Miami Warmth.

Williams struggled to deal with the defensive task towards Kyle Kuzma, permitting the ahead an excessive amount of house and at one level falling to the courtroom as he tried and did not sustain with him across the perimeter. Kuzma scored 26 factors to steer the Wizards.

Most regarding for the Bulls was the dearth of presence from Williams across the rim — he had solely two rebounds, grabbing a lone offensive board within the third quarter.

The Bulls want Williams to attain extra. But when his photographs aren’t falling, Williams must at the very least constantly present spine across the rim. If he can’t shore up that a part of his recreation, his place within the beginning lineup could possibly be in jeopardy.