Eastern Conference counterparts on losing streaks try to push toward the conclusion the 2025-26 regular season on a high note as the Chicago Bulls visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Chicago (29-49) hung tough with Phoenix in a Sunday matinee, but gave up a late-game run that led to a seventh consecutive loss, 120-110. Tre Jones led Chicago with 29 points and dished six assists while filling some of the playmaking void left with Josh Giddey out due to a hamstring injury.
“I’m just a firm believer in I was paid to come here to help this team win and I think every single night I can do that for my team,” a confident Jones said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The guard has averaged 13.7 points this season but has increased that to 17.5 points over the 18 games he has played since the beginning of March.
“He’s as competitive as anybody I’ve ever been around,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I just really appreciate the way he tries to, in his way, keep the group competing.”
Jones has been a leader for a roster that underwent significant midseason changes by trading Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu to playoff contenders Boston, Charlotte and Minnesota.
Chicago heads into its final four games with three on the road. The next two are both against Washington (17-61), a team floundering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference amid a six-game losing streak.
The Wizards matched the franchise’s longest losing skid of all-time at 16 games from Feb. 22 through March 22 but avoided making a dubious bit of history with their 133-110 rout of Utah on March 25.
Since then, however, it has been more struggles for Washington, which has faced roster inconsistency due to injury much of the campaign.
Just as marquee trade acquisition Trae Young began to work into the rotation March 5-16, the former Atlanta Hawks star sustained a season-ending quadriceps injury.
Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie, Tre Johnson and Tristan Vukcevic also were sidelined in Washington’s 121-115 loss at Brooklyn on Sunday.
Wizards rookies Will Riley and Julian Reese have been bright spots during Washington’s injury-riddled struggles, with Riley scoring 30 points in Sunday’s loss.
It was Riley’s second consecutive game reaching the 30-point mark after he delivered a 31-point, five-steal effort on Saturday vs. the Miami Heat.
“He’s really done this for a while now,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said of the Illinois product. “You see his confidence growing, his skill set, his ability to make tough shots and get to the free-throw line.”
Riley’s scoring average is up to 10.2 points per game, and he has attempted 26 foul shots over the last five games while making 22 of them.
Reese finished Sunday’s contest with 17 points and 16 rebounds for his third double-double in the last four games. Reese is averaging 10.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in his nine appearances (seven starts) with the Wizards.
