A number of times this season, I’ve described final scores as “deceptively close.” Last night, Washington’s 13-point loss to the Chicago Bulls felt like the inverse — the final margin was deceptively large.
For three-plus quarters, the Wizards and Bulls were in a competitive game. It felt like one Chicago would win because they’re playing for post-season seeding, but it was competitive nonetheless. There were seven ties, 10 lead changes, and the longest run by either team was nine. Until they blew the game open over the final seven minutes, the Bulls couldn’t push their lead past nine, and the Wizards even held a brief three-point lead early in the third quarter.