They exchanged fists in the preseason and close games in the postseason, highlighted by a Wizards buzzer-beating jumper. And Washington appeared to find a new intense rival in Chicago two years ago.
It didn’t escalate last season.
It might this season. Chicago and Washington square off at Verizon Center tonight at 7.
The Bulls, after all, are one of the NBA’s best defensive teams. The Wizards, meanwhile, are one of the NBA’s best offensive teams. Chicago (20-15) added All-Star center Ben Wallace in the offseason, fueling talk of a possible Eastern Conference title run. The Wizards (19-14) view themselves as a challenger for the same crown in the wide open East. This could be the case for a few years, given how relatively young both teams are (save for Wallace).
“We’d like to be the best team in the East, but right now that belongs to Orlando and Chicago and Detroit,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “And you can put Cleveland in there.
“The spotlight is on Chicago. That’s what I see. They will get better when they get their chemistry right. Right now the excitement is in the air and the anticipation.”
In a 2004 preseason game, center Brendan Haywood got into a fight with Chicago’s Antonio Davis — Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich and ex-Wizard Larry Hughes actually started the incident with some shoves. Haywood punched Davis in the face; Davis eventually wrestled Haywood to the ground.
In the postseason months later, the Wizards eliminated the Bulls in six games, getting a buzzer beater by Gilbert Arenas in Chicago to give Washington a 3-2 series lead.
Some players from that season no longer remain with either team, such as Davis and Hughes, but a nucleus remains for both.
“Maybe for some guys there’s a little rivalry,” Jordan said.
That’s not all. Don’t forget: Arenas was essentially cut by Team USA this summer, partly in favor of Hinrich. In the past, such knowledge served as prime motivation for Arenas.
But teammates say they doubt this matchup will add to the chip on his shoulder.
“They’re friends,” Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said.
And there’s also the matter of the All-Star Game. Forward Caron Butler is putting up All-Star numbers (21 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game), but one of his biggest competitors for a spot could be Chicago’s Luol Deng (18.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg).
“They’re playing real good ball,” Butler said. “But personally, I’m not throwing anything else on this game, no sauce, no ketchup, no honey, no nothing. It’s just a game and it’s a good test for us.”
Bullish market
» Chicago is 17-5 in the Eastern Conference and 3-10 in the West. But the Bulls are 5-11 on the road entering tonight’s game at Washington.
» Third-year forward Michael Sweetney, from Oxon Hill High and Georgetown, has averaged 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 19 games for Chicago. He plays 8.5 minutes a game.
» The Wizards average 108.1 points per game; Chicago allows 95 points per game and has allowed 100 or more points only 13 times.
