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Bulls, Wizards square off looking to snap two-game skids

Dec 6, 2008 - 11:17 AM Washington (3-14) at Chicago (8-11), 8:30pm EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls haven't loss three games in a row all season. The Washington Wizards, on the other hand, have made a habit of it. With each riding two-game losing streaks, the teams will battle on Saturday looking to get back on the right track.

The Bulls climbed to within one game of the .500 mark with a 103-92 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers on the last day of November. However, the start of the new month hasn't been as kind After returning home from a seven-game road trip, Chicago dropped its rematch with Philadelphia on Tuesday, then went back on the road and fell to the division-rival Milwaukee Bucks.

The Wizards got their December off on the right foot with a blowout win over New Jersey, but have since lost two straight. With two five-game losing streaks to their credit already, the Wizards building toward another one.

Washington has won just once on the road and Chicago is a respectable 5-3 on its home floor.

This year's Bulls have been inconsistent and continue to remain afloat thanks to the stellar play of rookie point guard Derrick Rose. The first overall pick in June's draft, Rose has taken quickly to the professional game, running coach Vinny Del Negro's new, up-tempo offense with the poise of a veteran.

Rose - who is averaging 18.7 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting at a 49-percent clip - has been a major matchup problem for just about every foe. His first step is among the quickest in the league and he has demonstrated the kind of explosiveness toward the basket that has forced opposing defenses to game-plan around him.

Granted, he's still a rookie, but on a roster that includes major disappointments like Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, Rose has come in and provided a steady hand.