For Bulls, fast start equals good result

Trying to figure out the Bulls' inconsistent play has been a constant chore for the coaching staff. Before Saturday's game against Washington, coach Fred Hoiberg pointed a finger at the first quarter.

"Too many times when we've lost games, we've given up big first quarters," he said. "We allowed the other team to get into a rhythm and we allowed the other team to get confidence. When we've gotten out to good starts, we've generally played well for the entire 48 minutes."

The game results back up Hoiberg's claim. When the Bulls held a lead after one quarter, they've won. When they haven't, they've lost. Against Washington on Saturday, the Bulls fell behind by 12 points early, but managed to hold a 28-27 edge when the first quarter ended.

As for why the Bulls haven't always started quickly, Hoiberg thought the schedule was a factor.

"We haven't had a lot of practice time," he said. "Its been a lot of games in a short amount of time. I thought early on, we did a pretty good job of building habits with our guys. There are so many new faces. It's a team with eight new guys and a lot of young players, so we're continuing to evolve as a group."

Wizards miss Wall:

Washington played without its starting backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal on Saturday.

Beal missed his second straight game with a right hamstring injury, while Wall was rested on the second night of back-to-back games. The Wizards lost at home to Cleveland on Friday.

Wall had arthroscopic surgeries on both knees last May, so his minutes are being monitored carefully at the start of the season. Washington started two rookies, Tomas Satoransky and Sheldon McClellan, at guard against the Bulls.

MCW shows progress:

Coach Fred Hoiberg updated Michael Carter-Williams' recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee. Carter-Williams has been out since the Oct. 31 game at Brooklyn.

"He's on the treadmill, the Alter-G treadmill, so he's using about 75 percent of his body weight, but he's moving around without a limp," Hoiberg said. "Just need to let that bone bruise heal. But everything he's supposed to be doing, he's done. He has not had any setbacks, so hopefully he continues to make progress."

The Alter-G treadmill uses a pressurized enclosure to counter a runner's body weight. Hoiberg declined to predict whether Carter-Williams is ahead or behind schedule. The original prognosis was a 4-6 week recovery.