Mike Dunleavy has admitted that he enjoyed playing in a "hostile environment" during the Chicago Bulls' first away game in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Bulls beat the Washington Wizards 100-97 last night, leaving them 2-1 down in their series against the Eastern Conference's fifth seeds.

The small forward, who was the team's top scorer during the victory, told reporters: "These chances have been few and far between for me. But like I told somebody this morning, especially on the road in the playoffs, it's where you can thrive. It's a hostile environment, and I like that.

"We've got to get Sunday, for sure. No question. It's a quick turnaround, one o'clock start. We put ourselves in a hole, we're starting to dig ourselves out, but we're not near there yet."

Dunleavy, who averaged 11.9 points per game during the regular season, finished the game with 35 points.