Nene powers Washington to victory over Chicago in Game 1

The fifth-seeded Washington Wizards defeated the fourth-seeded Bulls in Chicago on Sunday night by a score of 102-93.

The Wizards were led in scoring by power forward Nene, who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Every starter on both teams managed to score in double figures, but the Wizards' starters managed to outscore their counterparts 86-63.

The game was close for most of the night, but the Wizards were able to more execute down the stretch, while the Bulls went cold. Save for a controversial tip-in from Bulls center Joakim Noah, the Bulls failed to score a single field-goal for the final five minutes of the game. 

Bulls power forward Taj Gibson made the play of the night with a highlight-worthy put-back slam in the second quarter, but his efforts were ultimately bested by the Wizards' starting front line, as Nene and Marcin Gortat combined for 39 points.

Nene was key for the Wizards: Even with Joakim Noah on the roster, the Bulls still struggled with his size on offense, often double-teaming him in the post. This opened up easy passing lanes to Gortat, and created uncontested looks for the Wizards' perimeter players.