Bulls-Wizards Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD

(AP) -- After an impressive playoff series win against the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards are continuing to build on that success while compiling one of the top records in the Eastern Conference.

Now they'll have to face a much different Chicago team with Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and an improved Jimmy Butler.

In their first meeting since their first-round series, the Wizards look to start a new winning streak at home Tuesday night against the surging Bulls.

Washington proved too much for the Bulls last postseason, winning their series in five games to advance to the second round for the first time since 2005. Bradley Beal averaged 19.8 points, John Wall had 18.8 and Nene added 17.8 in starring roles.

The Wizards (19-7) have responded this season by matching the best start in franchise history, set in 1974.

Wall has raised his level of play with a league-high 12.5 assists per game and a 48.3 field-goal percentage - far better than his 42.8 career mark - while the club has gone 9-2 this month.

The All-Star point guard has averaged 22.4 points in his last five regular-season meetings versus Chicago. He'll try to bounce back after finishing with 14 on 5-of-15 shooting in Sunday's 104-92 home loss to Phoenix that ended a six-game winning streak.

Washington averaged 110.9 points while shooting 50.7 percent from the field over the final seven of an eight-game run at home, but struggled offensively with a 41.0 field-goal percentage against the Suns.

Beal has been off target of late, scoring 13.3 per game on 28.9 percent shooting in his last three.

"We were just stagnant," Beal said after the Wizards had a season-low 11 assists. "We weren't fighting to get open."

After the Central Division-leading Bulls (18-9) scored just 90.0 per game last postseason, they've been a much more prolific offensive club this season with an average of 106.7 over their past 13.

Butler, who scored 13.6 per game versus Washington in the playoffs, could be headed toward his first All-Star selection with a team-high 22.1 points and a 48.6 field-goal percentage.

He's averaged 31.0 points and 8.7 rebounds over his last three games after scoring 27 with a season-high 11 boards and a career-best five blocks in Monday's 129-120 home victory over Toronto, the Bulls' sixth win in seven games.

Chicago had a franchise-record 49 points in the fourth quarter en route to its highest total in regulation since March 2011.

Rose looked strong with 29 points after missing the previous two games with an illness. He's averaged 26.4 points in his past eight meetings with the Wizards, though he hasn't faced them since Jan. 30, 2012, due to injury.

"We know we can always count on him, go to him. That's just the type of guy he is," Butler said. "He wants the pressure on him. He produces. He produced. I think we're going to keep on going back to him and he's going to do the same thing every night."

Taj Gibson had 10 points and seven boards Monday after missing two games with a right ankle injury. The power forward scored 19.8 per game over the last four in last season's playoff series against the Wizards.

The Bulls, an Eastern Conference-best 12-4 on the road, look to match their season high with a fourth straight win. They've dropped nine of 13 in the series, including playoffs, after winning seven in a row.