Beal scores 24, Wall has 20 assists as Wizards top Bulls
Bradley Beal scored 24 points, John Wall dished out a careerhigh 20 assists to go with 14 points, and the Washington Wizards held on to defeat the Chicago Bulls 112-107 on Friday night.
Playing their first game since Dwyane Wade suffered a fractured elbow that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season, the Bulls rallied from 19 points down and had a chance to tie it, but Jimmy Butler missed a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left.
Butler finished with 28 points and Robin Lopez added a seasonhigh 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Washington’s Jason Smith, starting in place of Markieff Morris, who was a late scratch due to illness, tied his season high with 17 points. Nerlens Noel’s return to Philadelphia.
Jae Crowder scored nine of his 24 points late in the fourth quarter, Avery Bradley had 16 overall, and the Boston Celtics edged the Brooklyn Nets. Al Horford added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who were playing without All-Star Isaiah Thomas. rebounds and the Toronto Raptors used a fourth-quarter surge to beat the Detroit Pistons. Toronto outscored Detroit 27-9 in the final period to take control of a game that appeared to be slipping away.
Solomon Hill scored a career-high 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame the absence of All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Anthony Davis had 24 points and 15 rebounds for New Orleans, which has won three of four.