NBA Game Summary - Washington at Chicago

Chicago, IL (Basketball News) - Kirk Hinrich matched a career-high with 34 points to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Washington Wizards, 113-103, in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at the United Center.

"I was feeling good, definitely," said Hinrich. "I felt everytime I shot it, it was going to go in. I felt like I was taking good shots, in a good rhythm. The ball just seemed to find me in good positions and I was able to knock it down."

Antonio Davis added 18 points and five rebounds for the Bulls, who will take a 2-0 lead to our nation’s capital when the best-of-seven series resumes on Saturday with Game 3 at the MCI Center.

Chicago, which has won three straight and six of its last seven Game 2s, has won 12 consecutive playoff series and has not lost one since 1995. The Bulls also haven’t dropped a first round series since 1987, when they were swept in three games by the Boston Celtics.

Gilbert Arenas had a game-high 39 points for the Wizards, who are trying to win their first playoff series since the 1981-82 campaign. Washington has also lost seven straight Game 2s and has now dropped 11 straight games away from home in the postseason.

"We have to come home and win that game," said Arenas. "They’re going to be tough. We got down 0-2. It doesn’t happen very often that a team can come back 0-2, but it does happen."

Leading by three early in the third quarter, the Bulls scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 71-60 lead on an Othella Harrington jumper midway through the frame. Chicago maintained its advantage the rest of the way and carried an 11-point edge, 81-70, into the final 12 minutes.

Things got no better for Washington in the final period, as the Bulls pushed their lead to as many as 20 on a couple of occasions with the last time coming on Ben Gordon’s jumper that made it 95-75 with 8:40 left in the game.

The Wizards, though, would not go away quietly and got to within six on an Arenas three-pointer with just under two minutes remaining. However, that would be as close as they would get, as Hinrich answered with a trey of his own at the other end and rolled to the 10-point win.

Hinrich scored 21 of his points in the final quarter for Chicago, which is now 9-1 in its last 10 playoff games in the Windy City.

Washington stormed out to a 14-2 advantage midway through the opening quarter on a pair of Arenas free throws. An Arenas jumper later in the stanza pushed the Wizards advantage to 13 and they led 29-19 after one period of play.

Trailing 34-21 in the early stages of the second quarter, Chicago used a 14-1 surge to even the game on Andres Nocioni’s dunk with 7:34 left in the opening half.

Washington eventually went back up by four, but the Bulls scored 13 straight points to take a nine-point edge. Juan Dixon’s basket as the half closed pulled the Wizards within seven, 57-50, heading into the locker room.

Davis had 10 points to lead a well-balanced Bulls attack in the first half, which saw nine Chicago players reach the scoresheet. Arenas led all scorers through the first 24 minutes with 18 points.