It was a night of high stakes and even higher tension as the Chicago Bulls, sitting at 25-37 and desperate for a spark, rolled into Phoenix to take on the surging Suns (35-26) at the Mortgage Matchup Center. With both teams battling through a rash of injuries, Thursday’s matchup promised unpredictability, and it delivered from the opening tip.
The Suns entered the contest as heavy favorites, boasting a 10.5-point edge according to most sportsbooks, and the over/under was pegged at 224.5 points. Phoenix, just two games out of sixth place in the Western Conference, was eyeing a win to keep pace with the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff chase. Meanwhile, the Bulls, languishing in 12th in the East and trailing the final play-in spot by 6.5 games, needed a miracle to keep their postseason hopes alive.
But the Bulls came in battered. Their injury list read like a hospital chart: Matas Buzelis (ankle), Josh Giddey (ankle), Jalen Smith (calf), Patrick Williams (quad), and Jaden Ivey (knee) all sidelined or questionable. Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, and Anfernee Simons were also out, leaving Billy Donovan to shuffle his deck and hope for some magic. The Suns weren’t much healthier, missing key contributors like Dillon Brooks (hand), Jordan Goodwin (calf), and Mark Williams (foot).
With so many absences, both teams rolled out unconventional starting fives. Phoenix tapped Collin Gillespie, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro, and Devin Booker to open the game. Chicago countered with Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Leonard Miller, and Guerschon Yabusele. It was a lineup chess match that set the stage for an unpredictable first half.
Despite being shorthanded, the Bulls came out swinging. Chicago, who had lost nine of their last ten games and five straight on the road, found a rhythm early. Collin Sexton set the tone, dropping 16 points in the first half, while Tre Jones and Rob Dillingham chipped in 11 apiece. The Bulls’ bench and role players stepped up, compensating for the absence of their regular stars. They even managed to take an 11-point lead at one stage, stunning the home crowd.
The Suns, for their part, leaned heavily on Devin Booker, who poured in 16 points in the first half. Grayson Allen came off the bench with a hot hand, adding 14 points on efficient shooting. But the rest of the Suns struggled to find their groove, combining for just 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting before halftime. Phoenix’s offense, typically reliable at home, sputtered against Chicago’s patchwork defense.
At the break, the scoreboard told a surprising story: Bulls 55, Suns 50. The Bulls had managed this lead despite shooting an abysmal 3-of-16 from beyond the arc—a testament to their aggressive drives and opportunistic play. Chicago, eighth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 36.5%, couldn’t buy a bucket from deep but made up for it with hustle and timely baskets inside.
“We just wanted to come out and compete, no matter who was on the floor,” said Bulls guard Collin Sexton, who led all Chicago scorers at the half. “Everyone’s got to step up. That’s what this league is about.”
On the other side, Suns coach Frank Vogel acknowledged his team’s slow start. “We need to get stops and get out in transition. We can’t let them dictate the tempo, especially with so many guys out,” he told reporters during a timeout.
Looking at the numbers, the Suns averaged 112.1 points per game—nearly eight fewer than the 120 points per game the Bulls allowed. Conversely, Chicago’s 115.7 points per contest edged out the Suns’ defensive average of 111.2. It was clear: defense would be the difference-maker.
Booker, who had returned from a hip injury earlier in the week, was expected to shoulder an even heavier load with Brooks and Goodwin sidelined. He averaged 24.6 points and 6.1 assists per game on the season and shot a stellar 46.5% at home. With the Bulls playing at the fifth-fastest pace in the league, this matchup threatened to become a track meet if Phoenix could get rolling.
Oso Ighodaro, inserted into the starting lineup due to injuries, was another name to watch. The young forward had been trending upward, averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds over his last eight games and shooting a blistering 70.8% from the field. According to projections, he was expected to notch at least eight points—a prop that had cashed in six of his previous eight outings.
For Chicago, the absence of Josh Giddey (17.7 points, 8.4 assists per game) loomed large. The Bulls were just 7-14 in games he’d missed this season, and their offense often sputtered without his playmaking. Guerschon Yabusele, a recent addition, filled some of the void, averaging 11 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his first 11 games with the Bulls. He’s been a revelation on the glass, combining for at least nine rebounds and assists in four of his last six games.
Turnovers were another subplot. The Bulls coughed up the ball 15.2 times per game—10th most in the league—while Phoenix’s defense forced 16.5 turnovers nightly, good for third in the NBA. The Suns were also 20-12 against the spread at home and a remarkable 14-2 ATS against teams with sub-45% win percentages. Chicago, by contrast, was just 11-17 ATS on the road and had lost by an average of 20.4 points in their last five road games.
As the game moved into the second half, both teams knew the stakes. For the Suns, a win would tie last season’s total and keep them in the thick of the Western Conference race. For the Bulls, it was about pride, development, and maybe—just maybe—keeping a faint playoff hope flickering.
With the action ongoing and the Bulls clinging to a narrow halftime lead, fans in Phoenix and Chicago alike are glued to their screens. Will Booker and the Suns storm back, or can Sexton and the undermanned Bulls pull off a stunning upset in the desert? Stay tuned—this one’s far from over.