Schedule and 2004-05 Results
Regular Season Records: Chicago 47-35, Washington 45-37
Game 1 on Sunday, 24 April: Washington loses at Chicago, 103-pts-94
Game 2 on Wednesday, 27 April: Washington loses at Chicago, 113-pts-103
Game 3 on Saturday, 30 April: Chicago loses at Washington, 117-pts-99
Game 4 on Monday, 02 May: Chicago loses at Washington, 106-pts-99
Game 5 on Wednesday, 04 May: Washington wins at Chicago, 112-pts-110
Game 6 on Friday, 06 May: Chicago loses at Washington, 94-pts-91

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Washington Wizards hosted and defeated the Chicago Bulls 94-pts-91 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942 Game 6, thereby securing a 4-games-2 series 942 victory. The last best-of-7 NBA playoff series victory by the Washington NBA entity prior to series 942 was in series 363, when, as the Bullets, they became only the third NBA team to surmount a 3-games-1 deficit as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the 1979 NBA Semifinals. Washington thus wins its first NBA best-of-7 playoff series as the Wizards. The best-of-7 series record for the Chicago Bulls falls to 22-14 overall, and 0-1 in the Preliminary round. The Chicago Bulls have suffered a series defeat for the first time in the nineteen best-of-7 NBA playoff series in which they have played Game 1 in Chicago. The Bulls are now 0-7 in series in which they trail 3-games-2 after Game 5. The win order for the victorious Washington Wizards in series 942 was LLWWWW. Series 942 thus becomes the 27th MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series (all rounds), the fifth NBA best-of-7 playoff series (all rounds), and the first NBA Preliminary-round best-of-7 playoff series to follow this win order.

After Game 5: Leading by 14 points at halftime, the Washington Wizards eked out a 112-pts-110 victory on the road against the Chicago Bulls in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942 Game 5. Washington thus takes a 3-games-2 series 942 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, Washington (as the Bullets) had a perfect 5-0 series record and a 3-2 Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, Chicago has a perfect 0-6 series record and a 4-2 Game 6 record. Either the Chicago Bulls' 0-6 series record when trailing 3-games-2, or their stellar 18-0 series record when playing Game 1 of a best-of-7 playoff series on their home court will be marred by imperfection by the end of series 942. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series through 2004, eight teams lost Games 1-2 on the road, won Games 3-4 at home, and won Game 5 on the road (Washington becomes the ninth to do so). These eight teams have a 3-5 series record. All three winners won Game 6; all five losers lost Games 6-7; none of the winners lost Game 6 and won Game 7. It would thus behoove the Wizards to win series 942 Game 6 at home, lest they have to play a series 944 Game 7 on the road. One of those three winners was the Chicago Bulls, in series 643 (a 1993 NBA Semifinals series vs. the New York Knickerbockers). Thus, the 1993 Chicago Bulls set a favorable precedent for the 2005 Washington Wizards ... against the 2005 Chicago Bulls.

After Game 4: Winning again on their home court, the Washington Wizards defeated the Chicago Bulls 106-pts-99 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942 Game 4. Series 942 is now tied 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Washington Bullets (as the predecessor NBA entity to the Wizards) had a 2-2 series record and a 1-3 Game 5 record, while the Chicago Bulls have an 8-7 series record and a 9-6 Game 5 record.

After Game 3: The Washington Wizards won MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942 Game 3, defeating the Chicago Bulls 117-pts-99 to halve the Bulls' series 942 lead to 2-games-1. The victory is the first best-of-7 NBA playoff game victory for Washington as the "Wizards." When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 16-2 (with an active 13-series winning streak) and a Game 4 record of 9-9. When trailing 2-games-1, Washington (as the Bullets) had a series record of 2-3 (with an active two-series losing streak) and a Game 4 mark of 2-3 (with an active three-Game-4 losing streak). In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, teams losing Games 1-2 on the road but winning Game 3 at home by 18+ points (Washington) have a 5-19 series record. Ironically, one of the five series winners was the Chicago Bulls, in series 645 (in the 1993 NBA Semifinals vs. the New York Knickerbockers), so the 2005 Washington Wizards can look to the 1993 (eventual NBA champion) Chicago Bulls for a favorable precedent against the 2005 Chicago Bulls.

After Game 2: Taking a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942, the Chicago Bulls hosted and defeated the Washington Wizards 113-pts-103. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-nil, Chicago has a perfect 11-0 series record and a 5-6 Game 3 record. When trailing such a series 2-games-nil, Washington (as the Bullets) had a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record. Series 942 Game 2 was the second best-of-7 NBA playoff series Game 2 to end in a 113-pts-103 final score. The first was Game 2 of series 136, in which the St. Louis Hawks visited and defeated the Boston Celtics by that score to tie their 1960 NBA Finals series 1-game-all (Boston would win the series in seven games).

After Game 1: The Chicago Bulls hosted and defeated the Washington Wizards by a score of 103-pts-94, thus taking a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 942. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, Chicago has a 17-1 series record (with an active 15-series winning streak) and an 11-7 Game 2 record. Chicago's only best-of-7 series loss in the wake of a Game 1 win occurred in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 545, vs. the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Semifinals. When trailing such a series 1-game-nil, Washington (as the Bullets) had a 4-2 series record and a 5-1 Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, from 1946 to 2004 inclusive, teams winning Game 1 at home with a nine-point victory margin had an 11-1 series record. The only team to fail to win in that situation was the Denver Nuggets, which lost in six games to the Seattle Supersonics in series 349 (a 1978 NBA Semifinals series).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2004-05 regular season, Chicago finished 2 games ahead of Washington. From 1947 through 2004, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season games, they have posted a 14-10 (.583) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 942 is the first best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Washington (as the Wizards), and the thirty-sixth for Chicago. In best-of-7 playoff series, the Chicago Bulls have an astonishing 18-0 series record when playing Game 1 on their home court. Series 942 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Washington (as the Wizards or as the Bullets) and Chicago. Washington's last best-of-7 NBA playoff experience was in 1982 (as the Bullets). Chicago's last best-of-7 NBA playoff experience came in winning the 1998 NBA Finals.