The Phoenix Suns came into this game as heavy road favorites, but Frank Vogel’s Chicago Bulls made them fight for their 116-115 overtime victory to close up their trip.

 

The Suns’ record improves to 4-4 on the year. 

The Bulls rallied back from behind 24-6 to get into halftime tied with Phoenix at 57. 

Once again, the Suns built a double-digit lead in the third quarter, only to blow it. A 13-0 run by Chicago to start the fourth quarter gave the Bulls a one-point victory, 89-88. 

There was a lot of back-and-forth between the two teams until the last minute, when the Bulls tied the game at 107 with 15 seconds left. Overtime was necessary after Kevin Durant’s missed game-winning shot. 

After eliminating their own deficit, the Suns emerged ahead on a Jusuf Nurkic layup with 7.3 remaining. Phoenix has now won nine in a row against the Chicago Bulls, as the Bulls were unable to mount an offensive comeback in the dying minutes. 

Bradley Beal’s return to the lineup after missing the first seven games with lower back soreness was the night’s biggest news. Beal scored 13 points, grabbed four boards, dished out four assists, and blocked two shots despite playing only 39 minutes. 

Grayson Allen scored 26 points to lead the club, his highest point total in a regular season game since April of 2021. His eight three-pointers tonight were a new personal best. 

Durant (25 points), Nurkic (20 points), and Booker (20 points) all contributed significantly to Phoenix’s victory. Nurkic nearly had a triple-double with 16 rebounds and eight assists as well. 

The Suns won the rebounding battle by a score of 52-38, but they committed 22 turnovers. At one point, they had a lead of 18. 

On Friday, the Suns will return to Phoenix to host the Lakers in the franchise’s first ever postseason tournament game.