Wizards survive late Bulls push for 124-120 win in Chicago

The Washington Wizards flipped the game with a 40-point third quarter and then held on through a frantic fourth to beat the Chicago Bulls 124-120 on Saturday night at the United Center.

Trae Young led Washington with 25 points and nine assists, going 9-for-9 at the free-throw line and 4-for-10 from three. Kyshawn George added 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks, and Justin Champagnie came off the bench for 11 points and a team-high 14 rebounds while posting a game-best plus-18.

The win moved the Wizards to 2-1 on the season and 1-0 on the road. Chicago fell to 1-2 and 0-1 at home in front of a crowd of 21,496.

Third quarter turns it

The game was tight through the first half, with the Bulls taking a 62-57 lead into the break after a 35-29 second quarter. The lead changed hands 12 times over the night.

Washington took over after halftime, outscoring Chicago 40-20 in the third quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a 97-82 advantage entering the fourth. The Wizards' largest lead of the night reached 21.

Chicago answered with a 38-27 fourth quarter, but Washington kept enough of the cushion to close it out. The Wizards led for 56 percent of the game compared to 35 percent for the Bulls, whose largest lead was 10.

Inside game and bench carry Washington

The Wizards shot 48 percent from the field (45-for-94) and did their damage in the paint, scoring 62 points inside to Chicago's 54. They went 24-for-28 at the free-throw line, outrebounded the Bulls 48-44 and blocked seven shots to Chicago's one. George had four of those blocks and Alex Sarr three.

Anthony Davis scored 19 points on 8-for-21 shooting with six rebounds and four assists. Sarr chipped in 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, and Bilal Coulibaly had seven points and two steals.

The bench was a factor beyond Champagnie. Tre Johnson scored 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting, Bub Carrington hit 3-of-5 from three for nine points, and Deandre Ayton had six points and five rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.

Washington's trouble spots were long-range shooting and turnovers. The Wizards went 10-for-33 from three and committed 14 turnovers that Chicago turned into 22 points. The Bulls also piled up 34 fast-break points to Washington's nine and recorded 10 steals, four of them by Norman Powell.

Wilson leads Bulls

Caleb Wilson carried Chicago with 30 points and 14 rebounds, going 10-for-24 from the field and 9-for-11 at the line. Matas Buzelis scored 21, Powell had 18 and Josh Giddey finished with nine points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.

The Bulls shot 43 percent overall and 12-for-43 from three, though they were nearly perfect at the free-throw line at 28-for-30. Chicago was called for two technical fouls to Washington's one.

Up next

The Wizards sit at 2-1 alongside Atlanta and Charlotte atop the Southeast Division. They stay on the road to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET.