Bulls Embarrassingly Bad In Inexplicable Loss To Lowly Wizards

January 1, 2025

That was a textbook NBA “entitlement” loss for the Chicago Bulls, as described by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

And Cowley was right. You don’t have to be a basketball genius to know you can’t waltz into any NBA arena and just assume a victory. But that’s exactly what the Bulls did Wednesday night in Washington, and they paid the price for it.

Against a Wizards team sitting at 6-25, Chicago came in with a lackluster mindset, and the result was a humiliating 125-107 loss.

Coach Billy Donovan took immediate accountability, pointing the finger at himself.

“Quite honestly, we had no right to win,” he said. “We didn’t play to the level or identity we’ve tried to establish.”

And while it was commendable that Donovan was quick to shoulder the blame, his players weren’t buying it entirely. Point guard Josh Giddey admitted the issue was a mindset problem.

“We came in too cool,” he said. “You can’t just roll out of bed and expect to win.”

The reality is, the Bulls were lazy and sloppy, especially on defense. They allowed Washington to get whatever they wanted offensively. Even though they only trailed by four at the half, they had no business letting the Wizards — who had lost 23 of their previous 26 games — hang around, especially not after a brutal third-quarter showing.

While the Bulls struggled with their shot (3-for-12 from three in the third), the Wizards were knocking down shots at will, hitting 5-for-10 from deep and 15-for-27 overall.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the game was over, and Washington outscored Chicago 34-27 to seal the deal.

In the end, it wasn’t just bad shooting or sloppy play. It was a lack of urgency and preparation. The Bulls’ 20 turnovers turned into 33 points for the Wizards, while Washington racked up 36 assists.

Donovan’s coaching staff might be questioning practice schedules and shootarounds, but the real issue here is simple: when you walk into an arena expecting an easy win, you’re bound to get burned. And that’s exactly what happened Wednesday.