Falling a season-low five games below .500 carries a sting for the Chicago Bulls, to be sure.
Still, team leaders DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine remain steadfast the Bulls won’t allow the skid to discourage them.
Chicago enters Wednesday’s visit from the Washington Wizards on a three-game losing streak. The team’s West Coast road trip concluded with a 2-4 mark, though just one defeat came by double digits.
Acknowledging his personal struggles during Sunday’s 110-101 loss at Sacramento, DeRozan appeared confident the Bulls would work through matters to spark a turnaround.
LaVine displayed both brilliance and defiance in Sacramento, scoring a season-best 41 points while being whistled for a technical foul and darting from the floor to the locker room once the game ended.
Chicago slashed an 18-point deficit to two in the fourth quarter but was unable to sustain its charge as starter Javonte Green (right knee soreness) missed the game.
Washington has lost three straight and six of seven. The Wizards are coming off the largest of their defeats in that span, Sunday’s 130-119 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which also saw leading scorer Bradley Beal depart in the first quarter with a strained right hamstring.
Beal, who is averaging 22.9 points and shooting a career-best 52.2 percent shooting, will miss the next three games.
Wednesday begins a stretch in which the Wizards will play eight of their next 10 on the road, including a six-game, West Coast road trip featuring a pair of back-to-backs.
Washington edged visiting Chicago 102-100 on Oct. 21 in the teams’ first of four meetings this season, as Beal hit a leaning bank shot with 7.4 seconds to play to provide the winning margin.
DeRozan led all scorers with 32 points, his 10th career effort of at least 30 points against Washington.
Chicago has won four of the past five meetings with Washington at United Center and seven of the past nine overall. The Bulls lead the all-time series 129-108.
