NBA Playoffs 2014: Wizards at Bulls final score: Washington wins 75-69, advances to second round with 4-1 series victory

Fighting for their playoff lives with their backs against the wall down 3-1, the Chicago Bulls couldn’t muster enough offense and fell to the Washington Wizards 75-69 Tuesday night, eliminating them from the playoffs.

John Wall led the way with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Nene scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

The Bulls were led by Kirk Hinrich and Jimmy Butler, who scored 16 points each while Joakim Noah scored six points, grabbed 18 rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked four shots.

The Bulls, trailing by three, should have had a chance to stay tie the game in the final seconds after Andre Miller missed two free throws, but Nene tipped the rebound out, then grabbed another board after Bradley Beal went one-of-two at the line.

Beal finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Wizards got off to a nice start, taking an eight-point lead into the second quarter, but the Bulls answered with their best offensive quarter in some time, outscoring the Wizards 26-18 to tie things up at the break. In the third quarter, the Bulls again had trouble getting anything going offensively, managed just 11 points  and trailed by nine going into the fourth quarter. Then, the Bulls used their patented defense to cut the lead down three, but they couldn’t get any closer.

The Wizards will meet the winner of the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. The Hawks lead 3-2 and they will play game 6 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia Thursday night at 7:00 pm EST on NBA TV.

Game 1: Wizards 102, Bulls 93
Game 2: Wizards 101, Bulls 99
Game 3: Bulls 100, Wizards 97
Game 4: Wizards 98, Bulls 89
Game 5: Wizards 75, Bulls 69

For more on the Bulls and Wizards, check Pippen Ain’t Easy and Wiz of Awes.