John Wall and Bradley Beal share a laugh during the Wizards’ 112-107 win over the Bulls at Verizon Center on Friday. Wall had a career-high 20 assists and 14 points in the victory. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The Washington Wizards listed John Wall as “probable” to play Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. Such a modest outlook. The truth: Wall was certain to walk on to the Verizon Center court.

He suffered a sprained foot in Wednesday’s game during an awkward fall, heard the gasps of despair from fans seated around the baseline and told himself to get back up. He climbed to his feet and made it through the rest of that game, a loss that extended the Wizards’ skid to two games.

The back-to-back losses were a big reason Wall knew he was a lot more than probable to play against Chicago on Friday night. Another reason: Wall simply doesn’t like to miss games, and by the time the Wizards’ 112-107 was complete, he had gone from “probable” to simply admirable, handing out a career-high 20 assists.

“I knew I had a chance, but I knew also I had to play the right way,” Wall said. “It was a close game, and you couldn’t worry about [individual stats] and just try to get the win. If it was a blowout, you kind of could’ve worried about it, but it was a different game.”

[John Wall sprains left foot vs. Mavericks but plays on]

Indeed, it was a game that grew close by the end. The Wizards’ 19-point halftime lead nearly disappeared in the fourth quarter as the Bulls pulled within two. But with 1:10 remaining, Wall calmly dribbled and surveyed the action until he found Marcin Gortat for a lob and finish — assist No. 20.

The Wizards (42-26 ) held on only after Chicago’s Jimmy Butler missed a potential game-tying three in the closing seconds. Wall sealed the victory with two free throws. Despite the sore left foot, Wall played 34 minutes and finished with 14 points and just two turnovers.

Wall became the first Wizard to get 20 assists in a game since Rod Strickland (Feb. 10, 1998) and only the third NBA player with at least that many this season, joining Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

“I didn’t even know if this was his career night,” Coach Scott Brooks said after the game. “I really think he could have had 25.”

[D.C. Sports Bog: Wizards somehow atop power rankings, talking Finals]

Wall’s backup, Brandon Jennings, added eight assists, and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 points off the bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. played solid defense throughout the night, which included his man-on-man challenge against Butler in the final possession. Other beneficiaries of Wall’s big night included Ian Mahinmi, who had a season-high 16 points, and Jason Smith, who started in place of Markieff Morris (illness) and matched a season high with 17 points.

In the first half, Wall dished 12 assists and scored only one basket as the Wizards built a big lead. The Wizards made seven threes, with Smith being a surprise source. Although Smith played 38 minutes, most of his damage occurred in first half, when he covered the floor as a 7-foot three-point specialist, making three of four from beyond the arc.

“My offensive night was solely attributed to John,” Smith said.

[Wizards turn focus to defense during a rare practice]

Wall spent the beginning of the game in his natural role of pass-first point guard, and though he racked up assists, he did not make a shot until the final seconds of the first half. With a step-back move that left Chicago forward Bobby Portis dancing, Wall pulled up from beyond the arc for a three that rolled around the rim before falling through to beat the buzzer.

When Bradley Beal noticed that Wall had 13 assists in the third quarter, he knew his teammate had a chance to reach 20. Still, Beal felt it unnecessary to inform Wall — because of course, Wall knew his numbers.

“He always knows,” Beal said. “I didn’t want to press him.”

Beal carried Washington by scoring nine of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Washington, struggling on defense most of this month, recaptured some of its fervor while holding Chicago (32-37) to 40 points in the opening two quarters.

Now that Wall has reached 20, he mentioned an even greater target: Scott Skiles’s record of 30 assists in a game.

“I love passing the ball. I love getting my teammates involved,” Wall said. “My ultimate goal is to try to break the record.”