NBA scores 2015: The Wizards answer Derrick Rose’s challenge and 3 other things we learned

Rose scored 32 points, but the Wizards came back from an early 11-point deficit to beat the Bulls for the second time in less than a week.

by Jason Patt

Jan 15, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

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The Wizards thoroughly dominated the Bulls on Friday night in Washington, so Chicago came into the rematch on Wednesday with a little extra juice. The Bulls had even more reason to be motivated after giving up 121 points in an ugly loss to the Magic on Monday.

Derrick Rose got Chicago off to a rip-roaring start, scoring 17 of his game-high 32 points in the first quarter and knocking down three three-pointers in the process. The Bulls went up by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, but the Wizards never panicked. Washington imposed its will in the second half and earned a hard-fought 105-99 victory, a night after beating San Antonio.

The Wizards put on a clinic in the third quarter with John Wall running the show. Wall killed the Bulls' defense with pick-and-roll, racking up four assists and scoring five points of his own. Nene also dished out four assists in the quarter, and his superb post defense on Pau Gasol helped stymie Chicago. The Bulls made it a point to pound the ball down low to Gasol for much of the game, but Nene had none of that.

Paul Pierce and Marcin Gortat were the beneficiaries of Wall and Nene's dimes, combining to score 21 points in the third quarter. Washington outscored Chicago 32-19 in the quarter, and although the Bulls stayed close in the final frame, the Wizards' starters put the game away with brilliant offensive execution down the stretch.

Washington's starters have taken a hammer to Chicago this season, continuing a trend from last year's postseason. The Wizards' starting group of Wall, Pierce, Nene, Gortat and Bradley Beal has outscored the Bulls by nearly 36 points per 100 possessions in 52 minutes this season, per NBA.com, which is insane.

Given what has happened this year and last, it's clear that Washington is a tough matchup for Chicago. The Wizards have two bigs in Nene and Gortat who can neutralize Gasol and Joakim Noah, especially when Noah isn't 100 percent. Noah was hurt during the playoffs last year and hasn't looked right this season after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason, and he missed the second half on Wednesday night due to an ankle injury suffered at the very end of the first half.

Wall is one of the NBA's best point guards and can match Rose, or at least come close even if Rose is at the peak of his powers, like he was on Wednesday. Beal keeps getting and better and has proven to be a thorn in the side of Jimmy Butler, typically one of the better wing defenders in the NBA. Beal had 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and also had six of the Wizards' 29 assists on the evening. Wall had a game-high nine assists and Nene had eight.

Then there’s Pierce, who took the place of Trevor Ariza. Pierce may be aging and not the defender Ariza is, but the 37-year-old has veteran guile, championship experience and big shot-making ability. Washington hasn’t missed a beat with Pierce taking over the small forward position, and he scored a team-high 22 points on just 12 shots against Chicago.

While the Wizards are riding high, the Bulls are searching for answers. Chicago has lost four of its last five games and has struggled on both sides of the ball. The Bulls are patiently awaiting the return of Mike Dunleavy from an ankle injury to help bolster the offense, but Dunleavy likely won't solve their defensive issues. Noah's injury woes have been a major hindrance, and now he's hurt again.

This could be just a little rough patch for Chicago, but at the moment, both Washington and the Atlanta Hawks look like more legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. That can change if the Bulls get healthy and find their defensive identity, but work has to be done.

3 other things we learned

The Clippers can beat a good team on the road: The Clippers have had their share of struggles away from Staples Center this season. Prior to Wednesday, Los Angeles had won just one road game against a team currently above .500, a 102-85 victory over Houston in late November. But following a nine-game home stand, the Clippers notched another impressive road win on Wednesday, surviving Lillard Time and handing the Trail Blazers their fourth home loss on the season. Jamal Crawford led the way in the 100-94 victory with 25 points off the bench, and it was Crawford's clutch bomb with just under four minutes left that put Los Angeles up for good. Chris Paul sealed the game at the free throw line, going 6-of-6 in the last 1:15 and 10-of-10 overall in the fourth quarter. Ten of the Clippers' next 14 games come away from home, so they'll have the chance to rack up more solid road victories.

DeMar DeRozan's return was triumphant: The Raptors entered play Wednesday reeling a bit, losers of five of six games. The 76ers were a timely opponent for Toronto, but even more timely was the return of DeRozan from a groin injury. Kyle Lowry, while an MVP candidate, had begun to buckle under the pressure of such a heavy offensive load, so having DeRozan back to alleviate that is a huge plus. DeRozan made his impact felt immediately upon his return, and he finished the game with an efficient 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 29 minutes. Not too shabby for a guy who just missed 21 games.

Watch out for ... the Magic?!: Just a few days ago, the Magic were mired in a six-game losing streak in which they couldn't score a lick. Orlando didn't reach the 100-point mark in any of those losses and averaged just 90 points. But after somehow dropping 121 points on the Bulls, the Magic followed that up with a 120-point effort against Houston. Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic ran things again after both scored 33 points against Chicago, with Oladipo pouring in a game-high 32 points and Vucevic putting up 25 points. Rookie Elfrid Payton also showed flashes of his potential, racking up 15 points. Orlando still may not be very good, but they have some exciting young players who are showing signs of positive development. I haven't even mentioned Tobias Harris, who has missed the last three games.

Play of the Night

Rose tied a career-high with six three-pointers, and one of them came in thrilling fashion to cap off his masterful 17-point first-quarter performance.