After the cancellation of Wednesday night’s game vs. the Indiana Pacers due to the weather, the Chicago Bulls got a chance to rest and prepare for the Washington Wizards.

The Chicago Bulls are now 16-12 after beating the Washington Wizards (87-77). Carlos Boozer got off to a late start in the game and did not score until the middle of the second quarter. But, Boozer did lead the Bulls with a double-double, scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time. Marco Belinelli had 17 points and 3 assists coming off the bench, since Rip Hamilton is back from his leg injury. Hamilton only played 15 minutes, but did score 9 points in his return.

Sometimes, the Bulls play down to their competition. Especially to a team that they’re expected to beat. The Bulls started the game very slowly and allowed the Wizards to gain confidence and a comfortable lead. The Washington Wizards only won 4 games this season so far and most of their scorers are out due to injuries so analysts and fans assumed the Bulls would put the Wizards away much earlier then they did. Tom Thibodeau sat Boozer and Noah early because they were not playing up to their potential and allowed the Wizards to get anything they wanted in the paint. This allowed Taj Gibson and Nazr Mohammed to get about 16 minutes of playing time.

The Chicago Bulls shot 39.1% from the field, hitting 43% (7-16) from behind the arc.

On New Year’s Eve, the Bulls will face the Charlotte Bobcats in the United Center to get their 17th win of the season. This is an early game that will air at 3pm ET.