The struggling Phoenix Suns head to Chicago looking to snap their five-game road skid against a Bulls team that hasn’t beaten them at home in over five years.
It’s been a rough stretch for Phoenix lately. They’ve lost four straight games and seven of their last eight, including a disappointing 120-109 loss to the Spurs right after the All-Star break.
The Suns (26-29) enter as 5-point favorites despite their recent troubles. They’ve been solid as favorites this season with a 22-5 record, but road games have been their kryptonite – they’re just 10-18 away from home.
Royce O’Neale had a career night with 27 points in Thursday’s loss to San Antonio. Kevin Durant added 22, while Devin Booker had an off night, managing just 17 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
The Bulls aren’t exactly lighting it up either.
Chicago (22-34) is coming off a heartbreaking 113-111 overtime loss to the Knicks. Josh Giddey put up an impressive double-double with 27 points and 16 rebounds, while Nikola Vucevic chipped in 21 points.
The Bulls’ home court hasn’t provided much advantage this year – they’re just 10-19 at the United Center.
Both teams are dealing with injuries. The Bulls will be without Patrick Williams (knee) indefinitely, while the Suns are missing Cody Martin due to a sports hernia.
Here’s what makes this matchup interesting: Phoenix has absolutely owned this series lately, winning their last nine meetings. The Bulls haven’t beaten the Suns at home since November 2018.
The game tips off at 5 p.m. ET at the United Center and will be available on NBA League Pass.
Stats tell an interesting story for both teams over their last 10 games:
Phoenix is averaging 115.1 points while shooting 47.2% from the floor
Chicago is putting up 113.5 points on 44.8% shooting
The numbers suggest we might see a close one, but history favors Phoenix – ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives them a 65.6% chance of winning.
