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The Chicago Bulls return to their home arena, the United Center, to host the Washington Wizards after a two-game road trip in Orlando.
However, the Bulls may not be pleased to be returning to their homecourt. This season, they have been twice as good on the road with a 6-6 record, compared to their 3-7 record while playing in the city of Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Wizards have been poor regardless of the court they have played on this season. They are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 5-15 record.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls | NBA Season 2020-21
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Date & Time: Monday, February 8th, 8:00 PM ET (Tuesday, February 9th, 6:30 AM IST)
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls came out with more aggression and consistency against the Orlando Magic in their matchup on Saturday, a challenge their head coach Billy Donovan gave them prior to the tip.
Here is what Chicago Bulls' star player Zach Lavine had to say after the 118-92 victory:
"He [coach Donovan] wanted us to go out there and try to blow these guys out. Message received. I think the way that we played definitely represented what he wanted us to do."
The Chicago Bulls were dominant in the paint against the Orlando Magic. They went into halftime with a 28-10 margin in points in the paint and finished the game with a total of 50 points below the free-throw line.
If the Bulls can remain aggressive in the paint and not settle for shots on the perimeter, they will be successful against the Washington Wizards, who allow the third-worst two-point percentage in the league at 54.7%, per teamrankings.com.
Key Player - Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine is the key player for the Chicago Bulls. LaVine has been great for the Bulls offensively this season and has a good chance of earning his first All-Star team selection. He is averaging a career-high 27 points and 5.3 assists on 51.2% shooting.
However, as great a scorer the 25-year-old guard is, his defensive play has been rather poor this season. Opponents are shooting a 6.5% increase in their expected field goal rating when LaVine is guarding them, according to cleaningtheglass.com.
If LaVine cannot focus on the ball's defensive side against the Washington Wizards, then Bradley Beal will have a field day against the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls' Predicted Lineup
G Coby White, G Zach LaVine, F Denzel Valentine, F Patrick Williams, C Daniel Gafford
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards suffered their 15th loss of the season on Sunday afternoon, losing to the Charlotte Hornets 119-97. It was the fourth time this season the Wizards have lost by over 20 points.
Here is what two-time All-Star Bradley Beal had to say after the disappointing loss:
"We have to have some pride, some dog [in us]. We kind of let teams walk over us."
Teams have been walking over the Washington Wizards this season. They have the worst defense in the league, with an adjusted defensive rating of 118.44 points per 100 possessions, per Basketaball-reference.com.
If the Wizards are to turn their season around, every player will need to take more pride in their defense individually and battle to earn stops against their matchup.
Key Player - Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura is the key player for the Washington Wizards. The Wizards need another reliable scorer outside of Bradley Beal. With Russell Westbrook not being fully healthy and doubtful for the game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, Rui Hachimura will need to step up.
Hachimura has already shown that he can put up numbers, as he has scored over 15 points five times this season.
If the Wizards are to knock the Bulls on the road, Rui Hachimura will need to produce another 15+ game, along with the 33 points Bradley Beal is averaging this season.
Washington Wizards' Predicted Lineup
G Ish Smith, G Bradley Beal, F Deni Avdija, F Rui Hachimura, C Robin Lopez
Wizards vs. Bulls Match Prediction
With the Washington Wizards being in the second leg of their back-to-back, expect the Chicago Bulls to have fresher legs and carry over the aggression they showed in the last game against the Orlando Magic.
Bradley Beal will put up a strong stat line, but it will not carry over to a team win. Expect the Chicago Bulls to earn their fourth home victory on Monday night.
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Chicago Bulls have a 50.2% chance of beating the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
Where to watch Wizards vs. Bulls
Local coverage of the game will be available on NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Washington. You can also live stream the same via the NBA League Pass.
