Bulls notebook: Wendell Carter Jr. takes another step in victory vs. Wizards

WASHINGTON — Wendell Carter Jr. is a work in progress. But he’s making some.

The 6-10 center from Duke has struggled with inconsistency and foul trouble early in his NBA career (he’s averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 fouls in 25 minutes per game), but he keeps showing encouraging glimpses. He did it again Friday night against the Wizards, with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the first quarter. It helped that his teammates were looking for him. His two highlight plays in the quarter were a dunk off a feed from Zach LaVine and an alley-oop lay-in from Kris Dunn.

Carter added six points in a 2:13 stretch of the third quarter and finished with 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 13 rebounds in the Bulls’ 101-92 victory.

He doesn’t score much, but often in bunches. Eight of his 12 points against the Timberwolves on Wednesday came during a 5:37 stretch. Last week against the Magic, he scored six of his 10 points in a 63-second span.

“I think every day, he figures it out a little bit more. [And] we figure him out,” coach Jim Boylen said. “He seems to be getting some chemistry with Kris. What I want him to do is fight through his mistakes. Don’t hang onto a mistake. Go to the next assignment. I think he’s doing that a little bit better. And that’s where he’s got to grow and mature.”

Holiday’s slump

Justin Holiday’s approach to this shooting slump is the same as with any other he has had in his career.

“Keep shootin’,’’ he said.

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Five days after Holiday’s franchise-record streak of 43 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer was snapped against the Magic (he went 0-for-5), he was shut out again against the Timberwolves (0-for-6).

The 6-6 guard has struggled in Boylen’s offense. He came into Friday night’s game shooting 28.2 percent from the field (26-for-92) and 24.6 percent on three-pointers (14-for-57). He made 2 of 6 shots against the Wizards, 2 of 5 three-point attempts and scored 10 points.

Holiday said he was “honored” to have the streak but not hung up on it.

“The fact that I was making my shot is what mattered more,” he said. “The record was cool. Personally, I don’t even want to know when stuff like that is happening or even care about it, because I just want to do what I’m going to do. So making one [every game] is cool. But I’m trying to make three to five a game.”

Inside the arc

The Bulls averaged 21.2 three-point attempts in their six games before Friday; the league average is 31.3. They shot 29 a game under former coach Fred Hoiberg.

“I want to play inside-out,” Boylen said. “I want our shot selection to be on point. You take an open three when we have it. What I’m coaching is not taking contested shots.”