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Eastern Conference counterparts on losing streaks try to push toward the conclusion the 2025-26 regular season on a high note as the Chicago Bulls visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Chicago (29-49) hung tough with Phoenix in a Sunday matinee, but gave up a late-game run that led to a seventh consecutive loss, 120-110. Tre Jones led Chicago with 29 points and dished six assists while filling some of the playmaking void left with Josh Giddey out due to a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “I’m just a firm believer in I was paid to come here to help this team win and I think every single night I can do that for my team,” a confident Jones said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The guard has averaged 13.7 points this season but has increased that to 17.5 points over the 18 games he has played since the beginning of March.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “He’s as competitive as anybody I’ve ever been around,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I just really appreciate the way he tries to, in his way, keep the group competing.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Jones has been a leader for a roster that underwent significant midseason changes by trading Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu to playoff contenders Boston, Charlotte and Minnesota.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Chicago heads into its final four games with three on the road. The next two are both against Washington (17-61), a team floundering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference amid a six-game losing streak.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Wizards matched the franchise’s longest losing skid of all-time at 16 games from Feb. 22 through March 22 but avoided making a dubious bit of history with their 133-110 rout of Utah on March 25.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n Since then, however, it has been more struggles for Washington, which has faced roster inconsistency due to injury much of the campaign.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Just as marquee trade acquisition Trae Young began to work into the rotation March 5-16, the former Atlanta Hawks star sustained a season-ending quadriceps injury.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie, Tre Johnson and Tristan Vukcevic also were sidelined in Washington’s 121-115 loss at Brooklyn on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Wizards rookies Will Riley and Julian Reese have been bright spots during Washington’s injury-riddled struggles, with Riley scoring 30 points in Sunday’s loss.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n It was Riley’s second consecutive game reaching the 30-point mark after he delivered a 31-point, five-steal effort on Saturday vs. the Miami Heat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “He’s really done this for a while now,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said of the Illinois product. “You see his confidence growing, his skill set, his ability to make tough shots and get to the free-throw line.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Riley’s scoring average is up to 10.2 points per game, and he has attempted 26 foul shots over the last five games while making 22 of them.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Reese finished Sunday’s contest with 17 points and 16 rebounds for his third double-double in the last four games. Reese is averaging 10.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in his nine appearances (seven starts) with the Wizards.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n –Field Level Media<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n