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The Washington Wizards lost to the Chicago Bulls 115-106 on Wednesday night, marking their second loss against the Bulls.
With the loss, the Wizards trail the Bulls in the Eastern Conference by 1 game. While the Wizards now have Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, and Davis Bertans back, it wasn't enough to defeat the young Bulls team. What hurt more was the questionable rotation used by head coach Scott Brooks, who decided to limit Gary Payton II despite him being hot in the game.
It is unfortunate to see the rotations, but nothing much can be done considering the injuries that the team has been dealing with. The thought of Brooks being fired should not even be considered, as both general manager Tommy Sheppard and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis probably realize he is doing his best given the circumstances. With that being said, here is an analysis of Wednesday night's loss.
Beal listed as GTD, but plays and scored 23 points
Bradley Beal was very efficient for the night, as he went 8-13 from the field, 5-6 from the free-throw line, and 2-4 from beyond the arc. He managed to score 23 points in the 27 minutes of playing and got 4 rebounds with 4 assists.
Hopefully, Beal is perfectly healthy now and can lead this team to a few wins. But once the campaign comes to a point where the Wizards cannot make it past the regular season, it would be best to shut him down. Last year, Brooks made this mistake and allowed Beal to average over 40 minutes of playing time per game.
Davis Bertans performs off the bench
Davis Bertans came off the bench tonight, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes. It was not an efficient night for him, as he went 4-15 from the field. He also had 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Certainly, the time he missed has had a slight effect on him, but it should not be a worry for Wizards fans. Within the next few games, he should be just fine.
For now though, it will be interesting to see what Bertans' trade value would be, especially since he was on the sideline for quite some time. He has reportedly drawn interest from several teams, but the Wizards have said they would like to re-sign him to the team. For now, we sit and wait on what is done with the Latvian shooter.
What's next?
The Wizards have a tough one next up, as they travel to Toronto to face the Raptors on Friday. Tune in at 7 PM ET to catch that game.
Guess the Lakers players!
