Game Preview: Suns aim to bounce back against the Bulls in Chicago
Who: Phoenix Suns (42–35) vs. Chicago Bulls (29–47)
When: 12:30 PM Arizona Time
Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV
The Suns are about to play their 78th sport of the season (yeah, the postseason is coming in quick), and it will be their last matchup against an Eastern Conference workforce: the Chicago Bulls.
About a month in the past, Phoenix bought caught off guard by this similar workforce, dropping by simply two factors in a messy and considerably regarding sport. The Suns by no means even held the lead, largely due to poor taking pictures: 39% from the area, 28% from three, and 67% from the free-throw line.
As for current kind, it hasn’t been fairly for both aspect. The Suns are 3–7 over their final 10 video games, whereas the Bulls are even worse at 2–8, together with a five-game dropping streak. One workforce is making an attempt to regain confidence and rhythm to safe the seventh seed, whereas the different is principally taking part in for nothing. Too removed from the Play-In, too removed from the lottery.
- Amir Coffey — QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle)
- Haywood Highsmith — OUT (Right Knee)
- Zach Collins — OUT (Right Toe)
- Noa Essengue — OUT (Left Shoulder)
- Josh Giddey — QUESTIONABLE (Left Hamstring)
- Lachlan Olbrich — LIKELY (Plantar Fascia)
- Nick Richards — QUESTIONABLE (Right Elbow)
- Collin Sexton — PROBABLE (Right Finger)
- Anfernee Simons — OUT (Left Styloid)
The Suns are dealing with a Chicago workforce that performs at one among the quickest paces in the league (third this season), pushed by transition engines like Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, and Collin Sexton. The first key matchup will probably be tempo management: Booker wants to dictate a extra managed tempo against a workforce that continuously needs to run, and quick, rushed basketball hasn’t precisely labored out for Phoenix recently.
Another key issue is the matchup between Matas Buzelis and the Suns’ wings. Buzelis has taken an actual leap this season. He’s not in the MIP race, however his enchancment is plain. He’s lengthy, offensively versatile, and has no downside placing up double-digit rebounding performances. If given an excessive amount of freedom, he will be harmful—Brooks, Fleming, and the relaxation will want to keep locked in.
Finally, the battle inside may very well be intense: Mark Williams (if he performs), Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach, Guerschon Yabusele, Nick Richards, and Jalen Smith will all be concerned. The Bulls are the second-best defensive rebounding workforce (34.8 per sport), whereas the Suns rank 4th in offensive rebounds. This may flip into an actual struggle in the paint in Chicago.
The first key’s easy: gradual the sport down. Chicago is barely harmful once they management the tempo. If Phoenix dictates tempo, forces the Bulls into half-court units, and limits turnovers, the benefit shifts instantly.
The second focus is attacking Chicago’s perimeter protection, one among the weakest in the league (twenty fourth this season). Booker, Green, and Gillespie want to hunt switches, go at Giddey and Tre Jones, and generate open seems for O’Neale, Allen, Fleming. Or even Oso Ighodaro (okay, possibly not him).
Defensive self-discipline can also be essential. The Suns want to rediscover consistency in their assist protection, traps, and pick-and-roll protection. Mistakes will occur, that is inevitable — however they want to be minimized. This is the form of sport the place you clear issues up and put together for greater challenges forward.
Lastly, Phoenix completely has to win the non-Booker minutes, which is a recurring situation. That means giving clear playmaking duty to Green, Gillespie, and even Allen, working easy units (Spain PnR, ghost screens, off-ball actions), and leaning into Oso’s simplicity. A extra defensive-minded lineup may additionally assist create further possessions and tempo swings — which, in 2026, is principally the basis of profitable basketball.
If these three levers are pulled, the Suns must be in management.
I do not anticipate a straightforward sport. Not in any respect. It must be fast-paced and entertaining, and if the shot-making is there, we may see a very enjoyable matchup between two groups with utterly completely different approaches to tempo.
That stated, Phoenix is nonetheless the greatest workforce (and practically at full energy), so I’m going with a stable win for the Suns.
