October 25, 2026 at 5:04 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Wizards use 40-point third quarter to hold off Bulls, 124-120

By How we produce articles

Washington built its lead in the third, survived a late Chicago push in Chicago and moved to 2-1, while the Bulls fell to 1-2.

Three games into the 2026-27 season, neither of these teams has settled into much of anything. The Wizards, after beating the Bucks to open and then losing to the Raptors, came to Chicago on Saturday night and left with a 124-120 win that put them at 2-1. The Bulls dropped to 1-2.

Washington did the work in the third quarter, scoring 40 points and turning a game of trades into a lead it could lean on. It needed the lead, because Chicago kept coming late and made the final minutes tighter than the middle of the game had suggested. Trae Young steered most of it, finishing with 25 points and nine assists. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, again watched from the side. His sprained left ankle kept him out for the third straight game, and the injury is considered day-to-day, so the debut looks like a matter of when.

Chicago got a big night from Caleb Wilson, who scored 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. It was the kind of line that usually settles a game, but the Bulls could not turn it into a win, and the third quarter was more than they could make up.

The larger picture for Washington is the roster. Young, Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr and Dybantsa make up a group that looks far more competitive than the teams of recent years. Saturday offered only part of that picture, with the top pick still in street clothes, but the part on the floor was enough.

Sources

All game reports