Wizards Get Mad and Even

Juan Dixon was so upset with his performance after Game 3 of the Washington-Chicago series that he approached his coach in the parking garage and appealed for a vote of confidence.

The rest of the Wizards also were upset -- with the perception they couldn’t play defense.

Combine those two, and you get a career-high 35 points from Dixon and a team that took control in the opening minutes by not allowing the Bulls near the rim. The Wizards jumped to a 17-3 lead, rattling their opponents early and often in a 106-99 victory Monday that evened their best-of-seven first-round playoff series at 2-2.

Dixon made 11 of 15 field goals to help build the lead early and stave off a late comeback threat. He also made all 10 free throws. He scored 25 points in the first three games combined and was one for 10 in Saturday’s Game 3, prompting his talk with Coach Eddie Jordan.

“I said, ‘Coach, don’t lose confidence in me. I’m going to step up and get my act together.’ That’s pretty much what I said, but I said it, like, 10 times,” Dixon said. “I made sure that he heard every word. He had his kids in the car. He said he was ready to go get something to eat. I just wanted to drill that in his head and make sure he heard it.”

The Wizards made sure their defense was noticed too, blocking a shot and forcing two turnovers on the Bulls’ first three possessions, giving little hope for a Chicago team has lost 10 in a row at the MCI Center.

The score was 29-15 after one quarter and 61-37 at halftime. The Bulls got within six points with 24 seconds left, but it was too late.

“We got down, the crowd got into it and for whatever reason, we didn’t have the guts,” said Kirk Hinrich, who scored 18 points for the Bulls. “We definitely have to regroup and go back home. We just feel fortunate the series is still tied.”