The Chicago Bulls are locked in to the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference after Friday’s 119-89 win over the Washington Wizards at the United Center.
The Bulls needed only one win in their final two regular-season games to ensure they would finish ninth or better in the East. A rout of the 17-win Wizards — led by a career-high 23-point performance from Julian Phillips — was plenty to clinch that position and earn home-court advantage for the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Bulls will face the 10th-seeded Miami Heat on Wednesday night at the United Center. The start time has yet to be announced.
Halfway across the country, the Atlanta Hawks secured the East’s No. 8 seed with a 124-110 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hawks will play the seventh-seeded Magic in a first-round play-in game Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.
If the Bulls lose to the Heat on Wednesday, they would be eliminated from the postseason. If they win, they will advance to play the Hawks-Magic loser April 18 on the road. The winner of that game will earn the No. 8 seed in the East playoffs and a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
This is the second consecutive year that the Bulls have finished as the No. 9 seed — and their third straight trip to the play-in tournament. Both of their prior play-in tournaments ended with road losses to the Heat.
The Bulls conclude the regular season Sunday with a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
1. Julian Phillips took advantage of a rare start
Although it hasn’t been a centerpiece story, Phillips’ development has been crucial for the Bulls this season. The second-year wing has grown into a more confident shooter, posting 32.2% efficiency from 3-point range while taking twice as many shots from deep. His springy presence around the rim has paid dividends on both ends of the court in blocks and put-back dunks.
Photos: Chicago Bulls beat Washington Wizards 119-89 in regular-season home finale
In only his third start of the season, Phillips posted a career high in points on 7-for-11 shooting and added nine rebounds, an assist and a steal.
2. Nikola Vučević narrowly missed another triple-double
After a visible drop-off around the trade deadline, the center has returned to top form.
Vučević admitted that the uncertainty surrounding his future at the deadline affected his play for several weeks. But after missing seven games, Vučević centered himself and bounced back to his former efficiency, shooting 47.5% from 3-point range over the last 14 games.
