Turnovers continued to plague the Bulls during Monday night's loss to the Wizards at the United Center. They had 17, which Washington turned into 27 points in their upset victory.

Just why turnovers continue to be such a problem this late in the season is unclear. It's understandable when Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton turn the ball over more than usual while trying to get their rhythm back after injuries. But this is bigger than just those two.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau knows he needs to find a solution fast.

"We're 60 games into it," he said. "You have to eliminate all the ways you beat yourself first, then you establish who you are as a team. The low-turnover is a big part of winning. So defense, rebounding, low turnover, those are the three musts, every night. That has to resonate with us."

The Bulls had 19 turnovers in Sunday night's win over Detroit. They also had 19 in a loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 8 and in a loss to the Rockets on April 2.

"We just tried to get a little too cute," guard Kyle Korver said of the problem against the Wizards. "Sometimes it's fun to make the pass that gets the assist. Sometimes you just have to swing the ball. We're making too many assist passes instead of just making the easy play."

Rip Hamilton is preaching patience.

"We've just got to take our time," the veteran said. "A lot of times with turnovers, we're trying to overpass instead of taking the wide-open pass. We're a very unselfish team. Once we just take the shot that's given to us we'll be better."