NBA: Jordan Poole returns, Wizards notch win over Bulls

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) handles the ball during the second quarter of an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Jordan Poole scored 30 points to lead the host Washington Wizards to a 125-107 win over the Chicago Bulls in the NBA on Wednesday night.

Poole made his return to the Wizards lineup after missing the two previous games with a hip injury. He shot 10 of 21 from the field in his return, making six 3-pointers.

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Justin Champagnie added 15 points, while Carlton Carrington scored 11 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts to help push Washington to its third win in seven games. That wouldn’t be a positive stretch for many teams, but the Wizards have won only six times this season, and they are less than a month removed from ending a 16-game losing streak that left them sitting at 2-18 through 20 games.

Jordan Poole scored in bunches in the Wizards' W!

🔥 30 PTS
🔥 6 3PM
🔥 3 STL

He becomes the 1st player in WAS history to have 5+ 3PM in 5 straight games. pic.twitter.com/y47DzF8HIE

— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2025

Rookie Alexandre Sarr logged 11 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high-tying five assists.

Chicago’s Zach LaVine led all scorers with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting in the loss, while Coby White added 17 points and Nikola Vucevic contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds.

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Kyshawn George buried a 3-pointer to stretch the Wizards’ lead to 16 points, 100-84, with 10:20 remaining. George pushed Washington’s lead to 20 points on a dunk shortly after, capping a 13-4 Wizards run that served to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter.

Washington led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, but the Bulls closed the half on an 12-5 run to trim the Wizards’ advantage to four, 55-51, at halftime. Poole led the Wizards with 12 points in the first half, while LaVine led all scorers with 15 points at the break for Chicago.

Washington shot 49.5 percent (49 of 99) from the field, making 17 of 36 attempts from 3-point range (47.2 percent). Chicago made 41 of its 92 attempts from the field (44.6 percent) and shot 29.8 percent (14 of 47) from 3-point range. Chicago outrebounded Washington 44-42 but turned the ball over 20 times on the way to being outscored 33-11 in points off turnovers. –Field Level Media