Chicago @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2019 ) Chicago 115, Washington 114

It's one step forward and one step back for the Chicago Bulls, who traded wins and losses over the last four games as they try to find some consistency. The Bulls will try to get back into the win column when they continue a four-game road trip by visiting the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Chicago scored 136 points in a win over Atlanta last Wednesday, followed with 73 points in a loss to Charlotte on Friday, bounced back by knocking off the Los Angeles Clippers the following night, only to fall apart in the fourth quarter on Monday and drop a 109-106 decision at the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bulls squandered a 26-point, second-quarter lead to the Thunder and were outscored 27-16 in the final 12 minutes while falling to 4-9 on the road. The Wizards snapped a four-game slide with a 133-119 win at the Detroit Pistons on Monday to close out a three-game road trip. "This is the best game we've played just in terms of putting it all together," Washington guard Bradley Beal told reporters after the contest. "Our preparation, I think, is what won us the game. We were locked in in practice, and this morning at shoot-around was the same thing, and it just carried over into tonight."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE BULLS (10-19): Chicago guard Zach LaVine scored 39 points on 15-of-25 shooting against the Thunder and was one of the few players that managed to keep up his pace after the break. LaVine scored 30 or more points in three of the last four games and is shooting 61.3 percent from the floor in those three contests, with the outlier a 12-point effort on 4-of-19 from the floor in the 83-73 loss to the Hornets. Falling off the pace on Monday was power forward Lauri Markkanen, who finished with 13 points and three rebounds in the loss after muscling his way to 13 points and 17 boards in Saturday's 109-106 triumph over the Clippers.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (8-17): Beal sparked Washington with 35 points and 10 assists on Wednesday, but the team also got a boost down the stretch from point guard Isaiah Thomas (calf), who returned from a five-game absence. Thomas started and finished with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting (5-of-7 from 3-point range) and six assists in 26 minutes. "Brad's going to be Brad, so he's going to do what he's been doing all year, his whole career," Thomas told reporters. "Slowly, I'm feeling like myself more and more each and every game, each and every day. I definitely envision fourth quarters being like that, full games being like that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls SG Denzel Valentine scored in double figures in six of the last seven games.

2. Wizards rookie F Rui Hachimura (groin) left Monday's game and is day-to-day.

3. Chicago took three of the four meetings last season, including both matchups in Washington.

PREDICTION: Bulls 119, Wizards 117