After receiving a merciless whipping in a 123-92 loss to Golden State on Wednesday, the Bulls look to gather themselves as they make a trio to Phoenix later tonight. The Bulls are 7-3 SU and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings with the Suns.
The Bulls could have Jimmy Butler back in the fold just in time for the Phoenix game. Butler has missed the last three Bulls games due to a heel injury but has reportedly practiced in full on Thursday, suggesting a return to action as soon as tonight. Butler leads the Bulls with 24.6 points per game. He’s also a valuable component for the Bulls defensively, as reflected by his team-leading 1.8 steals per contest.
Dwyane Wade, on the other hand, might not be suiting up for tonight’s ball game. Wade didn’t’ practice Thursday because of an upper respiratory infection and Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg has expressed his uncertainty on whether the future Hall of Famer would be in uniform against Phoenix.
In any case, the Bulls will be looking for production from others such as Michael Carter-Williams and Taj Gibson. Carter-Williams has averaged 13.8 points in the past five games but nearly laid an egg against the Warriors, scoring just three points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field. He should do better against Phoenix’s 29th-ranked defense that allows 112.6 PPG. Gibson, meanwhile, is third on the team—behind Butler and Wade—in scoring with 11.8 PPG to go with 7.0 RPG.
It hasn’t been a fun season for the Suns, who lost to Memphis on Wednesday, 110-91. It was Phoenix’s third-straight setback and eighth in nine games.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line. Apart from Eric Bledsoe, who scored 16 points, Booker barely got support from the other starts with Marquese Chriss, TJ Warren, and Tyson Chandler combining for a mere 13 points.
Phoenix is better offensive team than what it was against Memphis, as the Suns are 11th on the league with 106.3 PPG. That said, the Suns would be facing Chicago’s defense that currently ranks seventh in the league. The Suns will have to do a better job rotating the ball to find cracks on the Bulls defense. Phoenix is averaging just 18.3 assists per contest, the fewest in the NBA thus far this season.
Booker and Bledsoe lead Phoenix’s deadly backcourt that is third in the league with 57.8 PPG.
The over is 9-0 in Phoenix’s last nine home games.
