CHICAGO — They take St. Patrick’s Day seriously here, and the Washington Wizards got to see the whole shebang Saturday: The Chicago River received its annual Kelly green dye job in the morning, and inside United Center the Bulls-Wizards game had an extra dollop of charm. Fans sported green top hats and hoodies, and venerated mascot Benny the Bull’s fur (hair?) was green, not red, for a change.
Washington
On a festive night in Chicago, Wizards prove too green to compete
Also, Bulls legend Dennis Rodman was there for a special pregame acknowledgment that earned him a standing ovation. His hair, in what seems like a missed opportunity, was not green.
The Wizards were in no shape to join the festivities.
They lost, 127-98, to close out their four-game, seven-night road trip on a dour note and fell short of scoring 100 points for the sixth time this season.
By the end of the week, their injury report had swollen to include five names, not including the newly acquired Tristan Vukcevic, who appeared as a formality because he is not yet with the team. Starting forward Deni Avdija (knee), starting center Marvin Bagley III (back), starting point guard Tyus Jones (back), Isaiah Livers (hip) and Landry Shamet (calf) were all bench-bound, leaving a skeleton crew to contend with the Bulls.
That meant Jordan Poole got his first start in Jones’s place since he was moved to the bench Feb. 22 in Denver — he finished with 13 points and eight assists. It meant rookie Bilal Coulibaly had room to shine and was a highlight for Washington with 15 points and eight rebounds. He also spent time guarding DeMar DeRozan on defense.
“I think Bilal has really been growing. You can see it in each game,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “Just his activity, eight rebounds, he got to the free throw line eight times, his cutting. I thought he did a pretty good job guarding DeMar DeRozan. I think that we’re seeing growth each game now that he’s been a starter.”
It also meant the Wizards (11-56) were so thoroughly overmatched early on that those green-clad fans witnessed some funky lineups. Chicago’s much larger big men thundered into the paint against a feeble defense to grab momentum. By the end of the first quarter, Kyle Kuzma was lined up alongside forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., center Eugene Omoruyi, point guard Jared Butler and guard Justin Champagnie.
What’s an odder sight than a bright-green Benny the Bull? The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Omoruyi having to fight for rebounds under the basket against 6-11, 279-pound Chicago center Andre Drummond.
The Wizards’ defense was woefully overtaxed from the start, Coulibaly’s positive moments aside, and the Bulls racked up a 21-point lead early in the second quarter.
Ayo Dosunmu led Chicago with a career-high 34 points after recovering from the pregame news, which caused a brief stir at United Center, that his friend, former Bears quarterback Justin Fields, had been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nikola Vucevic added 29 points and 13 rebounds.
Guard Corey Kispert again flourished as a part of the starting lineup after taking Avdija’s place.
Keefe said Avdija would be available to play in his pregame news conference Saturday, approximately 90 minutes before the start of the game — but just before tip-off, there was a change of plans. Avdija warmed up to see whether his body would be ready but instead missed his fourth game of the season with a right knee contusion after slipping and falling in the fourth quarter in Houston on Thursday.
Kispert was told just before tip-off he was being called up for his fourth straight start.
“I want to be a player that can play with anybody,” Kispert said. “Coach told me literally as the lights were going out that I was going to be starting tonight, so I’ve got to be light on my feet and take whatever role I can get. … I want to be somebody that anybody can play with.”
He led Washington with 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting, three rebounds, one assist, three blocks and three steals — and yes, that most certainly counted as flourishing, given the circumstances.
Unluckily for the Wizards, they have more green in their future and hardly any time at all to lick their wounds. They face the Boston Celtics at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Zak Kent from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday and optioned right-handed pitcher Andre Granillo to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcements.
Kent, 28, joins the Nationals after he was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on
Kent, 28, joins the Nationals after he was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on
Protester scales Washington DC bridge, stays for days
A demonstrator protesting the war in Iran and the use of artificial intelligence climbed Frederick Douglass Bridge, and stayed for days.
Despite saying he would “soon” come down, a protester has remained on top of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC since May 1, impacting traffic and extending a dayslong standoff with police.
Guido Reichstadter climbed the 168-foot bridge Friday, then draped a black banner and set up a tent while making the bridge his home for the past four days.
Here’s what to know about Reichstadter’s protest and how it is affecting locals in the nation’s capital.
Why is there a man on top of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge?
After Reichstadter climbed the bridge Friday, he identified himself as a protester, writing on X that he was “calling on the people of the United States to bring an immediate end to the Trump regime’s illegal war on Iran and the removal of the regime power through mass nonviolent direct action and non-cooperation.”
He has posted on X throughout his protest, reminding his followers of his cause as he thwarts attempts from the DC police to bring him down.
“The Trump regime occupying the office of the US executive is prosecuting a criminal war of aggression against the nation of Iran, enabled by the refusal of Congress to assert its constitutional power, and by the continued submission of the majority of the US population to this intolerable state of affairs without effective civil resistance,” he wrote on X, saying it’s the public’s responsibility to nonviolently put an end to Trump’s presidency.
Reichstadter said May 4 he hasn’t eaten for days, but previously told NewsNation he went on a 30-day hunger strike while protesting AI outside the Anthropic headquarters.
He has run out of water, however.
“I’ve got the stamina to stay up here a bit longer,” he told WTOP Monday.
What impact is the protest having in Washington, DC?
Reichstadter’s protest has caused lanes to shut down on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, but lanes had reopened for traffic late Monday morning.
Tuesday morning, all lanes were open for traffic, but the pedestrian walkway was closed, according to the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) Program.
If he stays on top of the bridge into Tuesday night, it’s unclear how his protest could impact people traveling nearby to the Washington Nationals game.
“My efforts here have had impacts on the local community and its people, and it is my desire not to harm but to work in communication, to lift up and to contribute what strength I can to the ongoing struggle for rights and freedom which this community has been engaged in for years,” Reichstadter said Sunday.
Police said Monday that their negotiators will remain on the scene.
Mike Stunson is the DC Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 21: Voi Tunuufi #52 of the Washington Huskies gestures during the third quarter of the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Husky Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. The Huskies defeated the Wild (Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
Former University of Washington defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi has died at the age of 23, the school announced on Monday night.
“Our hearts are with the Tunuufi family, his loved ones, and every brother who wore the W beside him. Forever in The Pack,” the school posted in an announcement on Twitter.
According to Andy Yamashita of The Seattle Times, Tunuufi’s sister, Sanita, said that he died in a car accident.
Tunuufi appeared in 52 games for the Huskies over four seasons from 2021-24, which included Washington’s run to the National Championship against Michigan in 2023. Tunuufi had 86 total tackles with 12.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two passes defended during his career.
The Source: Information in this story came from the University of Washington and The Seattle Times.
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