Trae Young, Wizards hold off Bulls after dominant third quarter

Trae Young paired 25 points with nine assists and Kyshawn George added 22 points and nine rebounds as the Washington Wizards topped the host Chicago Bulls 124-120 on Saturday to open a three-game road trip.

Washington outscored Chicago 40-20 in the third quarter to create separation and led by as many as 21 points down the stretch.

Matas Buzelis swished a baseline three for the Bulls to cap a 16-4 run that cut the deficit to three points with 23.3 seconds to go. But Anthony Davis and Young combined to go 6-for-6 from the free-throw line the rest of the way to seal the result.

The Wizards connected on 65.2% of their shots (15 of 23) in the third. Davis and George contributed nine points apiece in the quarter, with Young adding seven.

Davis (19 points) and Tre Johnson (13) also scored in double figures for Washington, while Justin Champagnie had an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson contributed 30 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Wilson, the fourth overall selection in the NBA Draft in June, scored 17 points in the first half to help Chicago to a 62-57 lead at the intermission.

Wilson showed his athleticism and explosiveness with five first-half dunks. Wilson notched a pair of slams over a 1:07 span late in the second quarter, scoring off a long transition pass from Buddy Hield and on a reverse dunk off a putback.

Chicago struggled to find balance and rhythm from the floor in the third quarter while Washington soared. The Bulls shot 30.4% (7 of 23) in the third quarter. A Norman Powell layup put Chicago ahead by three points at the 10:39 mark of the third, but Young tied the game with a trey on the next Washington possession. George's putback layup with 9:50 to go in the quarter gave the Wizards a lead they never relinquished.

Buzelis scored 21 points for the Bulls. Powell added 18, Jalen Smith had 14 and Tre Jones 10. Josh Giddey had nine points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

The Bulls sputtered from 3-point range, shooting 27.9% (12 of 43). Washington wasn't much better from distance, making 10 of 33 (30.3%).

AJ Dybantsa of Washington, the No. 1 overall selection in the draft, remained out with a sprained left ankle.

The win helped the Wizards stop a five-game losing streak against the Bulls.

--Field Level Media