More Wizards/NBA coverage
Trevor Ariza scores 30 as the Wizards pummel Chicago without suspended big man Nene to extend their first-round series lead.
Faced with the possibility of going back to Chicago tied 2-2, Washington plays a complete 48 minutes to seize control of series.
COLUMN | Trevor Ariza shows his championship experience, scoring 30 points to help the Wizards take a 3-1 series lead.
Lots of highs, but still a few lows from Washington’s 98-89 win against the Bulls in Sunday’s Game 4.
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Putting together their best performance of the playoffs without Nene in the lineup, the Wizards showed off both their depth and balance. Four players scored at least 15 points while Trevor Booker stepped in for Nene to grab a team-high nine rebounds.
“The good thing is we have a lot of weapons, and if one of us has a bad night or is out, then there’s a lot of guys who can step in and play good basketball for us,” Wizards center Marcin Gortat said following Monday’s practice. “Still, we have a lot of guys that we can say didn’t have a good game, and we’re hoping maybe [Tuesday] that these guys are going to fire up and have 20 or 30 [points].”
In Game 1, Nene frustrated Chicago’s pack of physical forwards with his mid-range jumper. Two nights later, Bradley Beal had the first big-time postseason performance of his young career, scoring nine points in the final two minutes to pave the way for an overtime win. And on Sunday, Trevor Ariza had a playoff career-high 30 points and six three-pointers in victory.
All of Washington’s starters averaged at least 13 points per game during the regular season, with eight players netting 20-point performances. On the other hand, Taj Gibson is the only Bulls player to score in double figures in all four games of the series.
“If [Gibson] has another monster game [Tuesday] and we win, I’m fine with it,” a smiling Booker said after witnessing Gibson score a career-high 32 points Sunday.
Though the Wizards won their two previous games in Chicago, with Washington angling to end the Bulls’ season in front of their fans, slowing down Gibson and his teammates could prove a bit tougher Tuesday.
While Wizards Coach Randy Wittman tried to impart a sense of desperation among his players during Monday’s practice, Washington expects the Bulls to come out with an urgent style after being outscored in the first quarter of all four series games.
To combat the challenge of playing on the road, the Wizards look to maintain the smart play that yielded just six turnovers Sunday, the uptempo attack that produced a 16-2 advantage in fast-break points and the proverbial chip on their shoulder that’s positioned them for just their third playoff series win since 1978.
“We’re the underdogs and that’s the way we want to go into this situation,” Wizards guard John Wall said. “We know it’s pretty big to get off to a good start against these guys because they’re a great defensive team. . . . The biggest thing is not trying to go there and lose and then having to come back here again and putting the pressure on yourself to win.”