Agent Zero's last-second shot saves Wizards in the Windy CityBy WashingtonWizards.com staff / March 31st, 2006@Chicago (5-18) | W 105-89 (OT)Washington finished off March with a visit to the United Center for a matchup against the struggling Chicago Bulls. Despite a talented starting 5 and long-awaited playoff appearance last season, the Bulls have only managed 5 wins this year. Many Bulls fans have speculated that coach Andrew Begley's unexpected retirement left the Chicago front office and roster in disarray, and the organization has yet to recover. Don't let the final score of this one fool you, though. The Wizards needed all hands on deck to walk away with the W.
Washington started the game in their comfort zone with Arenas and Jamison living off the pick-and-roll. Chicago started slow but found their groove in Q2. Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler were a defensive nightmare in the paint, blocking or altering nearly every shot the Wizards put up in the paint. Jaric was no match for Ben Gordon on the perimeter. Arenas, the league leader in steals, couldn't get the edge on Kirk Hinrich and found himself sidelined early with foul trouble. Eddie Jordan made some adjustments at half-time to get his Wizards back on track. The Bulls had controlled the boards and dominated the paint defensively, so the Wizards set up shop in the second half with a 2-3 zone to solidify the middle and force Chicago into more outside shots. It ultimately worked as the Bulls went 6-25 (24%) from 3, and the Wizards won the rebounding advantage 43-36.
At this point, a close game is nothing more than a day at the office for Washington, and tonight was no exception. After struggling with foul trouble early, Arenas had been huge in Q4. With the game on the line, the Wizards needed a defensive stop and big shot to send the game to OT:
The demoralized Bulls had nothing left in the tank for OT. Their depth had been an issue all game long and finally caught up with them. An energized Agent Zero cut his way through the Chicago defense like butter for a dominating OT performance. Arenas finished the game with 26 points and 10 assists. Jamison, the unsung hero for the Wizards, was consistent all game long, scoring 29 points to go with 8 rebounds. For the Bulls, Hinrich had 20 points and 8 assists, Gordon scored 24, and Eddie Curry posted a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds.
Player of the Game: Gilbert Arenas
Box ScoreNext Game: April 8th @Charlotte