Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan (11) steals the ball away from Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) in the second half at United Center.
What we learned from the Chicago Bulls’ deflating defeat to the Phoenix Suns
The Bulls need to get on point early.
The Chicago Bulls had every shot at claiming a morale-boosting victory over a powerhouse team. In the end, though, they just couldn’t make enough plays down the stretch, falling to the Phoenix Suns in overtime, 116-115. Here are a couple of takeaways from the close match:
Bulls pay for the slow start
Playing at home against a high-quality opponent should have gotten the Bulls amped and hyped up to play, right? Wrong. The Bulls played like they were in a slumber and fell behind by 18, 22-4, five minutes into the game. Had it not been the spark Alex Caruso provided—the All-Defensive team member canned three straight triples in the first—this game would have gotten out of hand early.
The Bulls played catch-up for most of the game, and in the end, it may have played a part in DeMar DeRozan not having enough juice to get the potential game-winning jumper over the outstretched arms of Suns wingman Keita Bates-Diop.
A familiar foe torches the Bulls
With all eyes on Suns All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, it was a familiar foe that torched the Bulls’ defense all game long. Grayson Allen—the man who notoriously injured Alex Caruso’s wrist with a hard foul during their game in January 2022—canned eight three-pointers and finished with a game-high 26 points.
