The Washington Wizards vs. Bulls preview sets up a matchup between an unbeaten Washington club and a Chicago team coming off back-to-back wins. The Wizards (1-0) visit the Chicago Bulls (1-1) on Saturday, Oct. 24 at United Center, with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
ET. Washington opened its season with a 128-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, while Chicago enters off a 132-125 road victory over the same Bucks squad on Oct. 23.
Wizards Vs. Bulls Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
- TV/Streaming: MNMT, NBA League Pass
- Series: Season series starts Oct. 24
Wizards Outlook
Washington sits atop the Southeast Standings at 1-0, one of three teams in the division with a perfect record through one game. The Wizards have scored 128.0 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field, numbers built on 39 made two-pointers on 58 attempts for a 67.2% clip inside the arc.
Anthony Davis leads the team in scoring at 34.0 points per game to go with 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block, the full line that defines Washington’s early rating leader. Trae Young has directed the offense with 13.0 assists per game, a figure that lines up with the team’s overall 28.0 assists per game, the top mark in this matchup.
Washington will be without three players Saturday. AJ Dybantsa is out with a left ankle sprain with a return date of Oct. 24, Tristan Vukcevic is out with a pinched nerve in his left hip with a return date of Nov. 2, and Jamir Watkins is out following left knee surgery with a return date of April 2, 2027. Davis and Young are projected to anchor the starting lineup in their absence.
Bulls Outlook
Chicago is 1-1 and sits half a game back of Indiana and Detroit in the Central Standings, currently riding a one-game winning streak after beating Milwaukee 132-125 on Oct. 23. The Bulls have alternated results through their first two games, following a 135-92 loss at Toronto on Oct. 21 with the win over the Bucks two days later.
Norman Powell leads Chicago in scoring at 15.0 points per game, Jalen Smith paces the rebounding at 8.0 per game and Josh Giddey leads the team with 6.0 assists per game. The Bulls have posted a 32.1% field goal percentage and averaged 27.0 turnovers, both figures that trail Washington by wide margins through the early slate.
Center Nic Claxton is out for Chicago with a hamstring injury in his leg, with a return date listed as Nov. 4. Smith is projected to see additional minutes at center in Claxton’s absence, alongside Powell and Giddey in the projected starting lineup.
Key Matchup
Washington’s offense against Chicago’s turnover rate is the matchup to watch. The Wizards average 11.0 steals per game against a Bulls team that has turned the ball over 27.0 times per game through its first game of the season. If that trend continues, Washington’s open-floor scoring, fueled by Davis and Young, could find easy chances off live-ball mistakes.
On the other end, Chicago’s defensive rebounding, at 34.0 per game, is the one statistical category where the Bulls hold an edge over Washington’s 32.0 per game. How Jalen Smith and the Bulls frontcourt handle the glass without Claxton will factor into how many extra possessions Chicago can generate against a Wizards team that otherwise controls most of the box score categories so far.
What To Watch
Washington is trying to build on the momentum from its win over Milwaukee, detailed in Total Apex Sports’ recap of the Wizards’ 128-116 victory, where Davis scored 34 points. The Wizards also opened the week against another unbeaten opponent, covered in the Raptors vs. Wizards preview.
For Chicago, Saturday marks a chance to get back to .500 against a Southeast Division leader. Both teams are early in the schedule, and the season series between Washington and Chicago begins with this game. The next games for both clubs will follow the Oct. 24 matchup at United Center.
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