Bulls vs. Wizards: 3 things you need to know

EAST
(1) IND vs. (8) ATL | (2) MIA vs. (7) CHA
(3) TOR vs. (6) BKN | (4) CHI vs. (5) WAS
WEST
(1) SAS vs. (8) DAL | (2) OKC vs. (7) MEM
(3) LAC vs. (6) GSW | (4) HOU vs. (5) POR

Maybe you didn't expect them here when Derrick Rose went down and Luol Deng was traded, but the Chicago Bulls earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the Washington Wizards in the opening round of the playoffs. This matchup all comes down to one simple question: who can score?

Chicago hosts Washington on Sunday to open up the seven-game series. Here are the three things you need to know:

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Chicago Bulls finished the season with the second-best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 97.8 points per 100 possessions. Since they dealt Luol Deng on Jan. 6, that number has stayed at 97.9 despite offense increasing league-wide. The result is that the Bulls have blown away every other team when it comes to stopping the opposition, basically for all of 2014.

The Wizards, meanwhile, can play some defense themselves. Washington ranked sixth in defensive rating in the new year, giving up only 101.8 points per 100 possessions, a mark that was only slightly worse at 102.4 for the entire season.

With the Bulls struggling to score and the Wizards owning one of the most inconsistent attacks in the league, the potential exists for sub-90 point victories.

The Tag Team Champions

There may be no duo in all of basketball that gets hardcore fans going quite like Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, the Bulls' lethal pair of frontcourt defenders. Both players have gotten love for Defensive Player of the Year on early public ballots, Noah has received some down-ballot MVP nods, while Gibson has earned Sixth Man of the Year consideration.

Gibson may come off the bench, but expect to see him plenty with the game on the line. And when that happens, don't expect the Wizards to score. When Noah and Gibson man the floor together, the Bulls allow just 97.2 points per 100 possessions and teams shoot only 41.2 percent.

What's more, the offense doesn't struggle. In fact, it improves to 104.5 points per 100 possessions, meaning the Bulls are running teams off the floor by 5.9 points per 48 minutes when the duo is in effect.

John Wall, your moment is waiting

John Wall has been one of the league's most exciting players for four seasons now, and he improved an appreciable amount in 2013-14, earning his first All-Star nod. Well, for the first time, Wall is going to get to try his hand at playoff action, and he is, without question, the key to Washington's success.

Wall averaged 19.3 points and 8.8 assists on the year, leading the league not just in total assists but also the most corner threes assisted on (you're welcome, Trevor Ariza). So, if D.J. Augustin can't handle Wall as the initial line of defense and Noah, who is the league's best big man when it comes to switching onto guards, comes out to help, the Bulls' rotations are going to have to be very, very tight.

Of course, Wall can score, too, and averaged 20.7 points on 50 percent shooting in three games - two of them wins - against the Bulls this season. Also:

Schedule