CHICAGO -- After back-to-back losses to Central Division teams, Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks was fed up following Sunday's 126-117 defeat to the Bulls.
"Well, we're playing soft. That's pretty simple; we're playing soft, and we're playing -- just comfortable. And it's disappointing," Brooks animatedly said to reporters following the Bulls loss. "Two nights ago, we gave up seven and-1s; tonight we gave up nine and-1s. It's unheard of.
"I don't know if I've ever been on a team that gave up 16 and-1s in two nights; it's disappointing. We talk about growing and playing with toughness -- last two games, wasn't the case. We talked about it going into the game; they ended up having four. And their and-1s are about as soft as you can get. The guys don't even know he gets fouled; they're that soft. It's embarrassing, and we gotta step up and play with some toughness and some pride, and it's disappointing."
Despite Wizards star Bradley Beal erupting for a career-best 53 points -- including 21 in the fourth quarter -- the Bulls were able to snap an eight-game losing streak with the latest win.
Beal's 53 points were the most in a game by a Wizards player since Gilbert Arenas on Dec. 22, 2006, against the Suns. It was also the second-most points in a loss in Wizards franchise history. Earl Monroe once scored 56 in 1968 against the Lakers.
Beal moved into second place on the Wizards' scoring list with his 34th point, passing Jeff Malone, but Brooks was displeased with the overall team effort.
"Give them credit -- they've lost eight in a row. They were gonna come out with urgency -- we knew that," Brooks said. "But we gave them everything they wanted, and it's disappointing."
Washington's loss also clinched a playoff spot for the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in just 56 games -- the fastest postseason clinching in league history.
"It's disappointing. It's on me; I gotta do a better job to get these guys ready to play with some toughness, some physicality, some determination, some heart, some passion," Brooks said. "It's embarrassing the last two nights. It's not embarrassing to lose against an NBA team, but it's embarrassing not to compete like an NBA team."
Brooks wasn't done.
"Your job is so easy; this is the easiest job in the world. I have the second-easiest job, you guys [in the media] have the third-easiest job -- we get to cover basketball, watch basketball, play basketball, teach basketball," Brooks said. "Your job is easy as a player. You play as hard as you can, and you play for your teammates, and if you do that your minutes will come. If you don't do that, you don't get minutes -- it's as simple as that. And it's disappointing we haven't had that the last two nights."