Poole scores 23 as Wizards beat Bulls 107-105 for season-high 3rd straight win
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 25: Jordan Poole #13 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball against Jevon Carter #5 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on March 25, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ac
CHICAGO - Jordan Poole scored 23 points and the Washington Wizards won their season-high third straight game, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-105 on Monday night.
Corey Kispert added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 and the Wizards — owners of the NBA’s second-worst record — got some payback for a 29-point blowout in Chicago last week.
DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points. Coby White scored 22 as the Bulls lost their third in a row.
Poole scored 10 points as Washington grabbed a 15-0 lead, though he also headed to the sideline with three fouls just under five minutes into the game.
The Wizards led by 16 early in the second quarter before Chicago went ahead in the third. Washington was up 100-93 late in the game, but the Bulls then scored six straight points and pulled within one on White’s driving layup with 2:10 remaining.
The Wizards were up by four when DeRozan drove for a layup in the closing minute. Washington’s Justin Champagnie then made one of two free throws with 31 seconds left to make it 104-101.
DeRozan drove for another layup to make it a one-point game before Kispert hit two free throws for Washington to bump the lead to 106-103 with eight seconds remaining.
The Bulls called a timeout and Jared Butler committed a foul on the inbounds play. White sank two free throws to cut it to 106-105 with six seconds left.
Champagnie then hit one of two free throws to make it 107-105 with 5.1 seconds to go. DeRozan missed a heave at the buzzer.
Washington was without leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (sore left shoulder) for the third time in five games. Wizards guard Tyus Jones (back sprain) missed his sixth game in a row, while guard Landry Shamet (strained left calf) missed his eighth straight. Interim coach Brian Keefe said Jones appears to be further along than Shamet, though he didn't have a timetable on either player.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues activities such as sprinting as he works his way back from a series of surgeries on his left knee. Chicago coach Billy Donovan indicated the next big step in Ball's recovery probably will come in the summer.
"The hope is that he has August and September — that would be two months before training camp started," Donovan said. "That's not to say he's that far away. He could potentially start playing in July. I just don't know when they're going to clear him to do that."
Ball hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022. He's had three operations since then, including a cartilage transplant in March 2023.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Bulls: Host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.