Tiago Splitter says the Bulls were ‘very inconsistent with our coverages’ in a 40-20 third quarter that cost them their home opener

Chicago Bulls coach Tiago Splitter pinned Saturday’s 124-120 home-opening loss to the Washington Wizards on one stretch of defense, saying his team was “very inconsistent with our coverages” in a third quarter Washington won 40-20. The Bulls are 1-2, and the night showed both sides of a first-year coach’s demand that his players compete for every minute.

Chicago led by as many as 10 in the first half and went to the break ahead 62-57. Twelve minutes later it trailed 97-82, and the Wizards’ lead eventually reached 21. The Bulls then won the fourth quarter 38-27 and got back within one possession before running out of time.

Where the coverages broke down

The numbers back up Splitter’s read. Washington made 35 of its 61 two-point attempts, 57 percent, and blocked seven shots to Chicago’s one. Trae Young scored 25 with nine assists, Kyshawn George added 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and Anthony Davis had 19. Off the Washington bench, Justin Champagnie grabbed 14 rebounds and finished plus-18 in 26 minutes.

Chicago’s own shooting did not help it climb out. The Bulls went 12-of-43 from three, 27 percent, although they forced 13 turnovers, came away with 10 steals and went 28-of-30 at the line. Norman Powell had four of those steals to go with 18 points.

“For us to win basketball games we’ve got to play 48 minutes,” Splitter said afterward, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Caleb & Matas hit back-to-back threes to make it a three-point game!@CHSN__ | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/h0qAmfb3El

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 25, 2026

A rotation built on effort

Splitter has made it plain that minutes follow effort. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis did not close Friday’s 132-125 win in Milwaukee, the Sun-Times noted. Twenty-four hours later both were on the floor at the finish. Giddey played 29 minutes and had 9 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists without a turnover. Buzelis scored 21 on 7-of-13 shooting in nearly 35 minutes and took the blame for the result, saying Chicago should have won it comfortably. Splitter answered that the 22-year-old forward is still learning.

Rookie Caleb Wilson played the most minutes of anyone, 38, and the Bulls were plus-14 with him on the floor during his 30-point, 14-rebound night. The bench told a different story. Isaac Okoro went scoreless in 13 minutes and was minus-21, and Tre Jones, Jalen Smith and Buddy Hield were all in the minus column. Chicago played without Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams.

The full box score and play-by-play are on the Wizards-Bulls Game Center.

What comes next

The Bulls visit the Boston Celtics on Monday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET, the first of three games in the second week of the season. Follow it on the Bulls-Celtics Game Center.