Phoenix @ Chicago preview
United Center
Last Meeting ( Mar 31, 2021 ) Chicago 116, Phoenix 121
The Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls can attest to excelling in the face of injuries.
Both teams enter Monday's clash in Chicago with multiple players sidelined, but they have overcome those concerns while maintaining effort and effectiveness.
Phoenix boasts the top record in the NBA. Chicago ranks fifth.
"We just hoop," the Suns' Chris Paul said. "We say it all the time. All season long, we've had different guys in and out of the lineup and we just adjust. Figure it out."
Phoenix rolled to its 12th victory in 13 games Saturday, topping the host Washington Wizards 95-80 behind a double-double from Deandre Ayton.
In his third game since returning to the lineup following a right ankle sprain, Ayton contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds in just 24 minutes.
"At this point, we're going to start playing him his normal minutes so he can get back into a groove," Suns coach Monty Williams said.
He'll get no discord from Ayton, who feels a boost in playing time is the best strategy for returning to form.
"Mainly, it was my wind," Ayton said. "The best way I can get back in shape is by playing hard through these games and running on each possession as fast as I can. That's the quickest way."
Chicago has lost two of three after falling 119-108 to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to open a stretch of playing seven of their next eight games at the United Center.
DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 45 points in 41 minutes to keep the Bulls afloat, finishing just seven points off his career best.
Nikola Vucevic followed with 23 points and Javonte Green chipped in 17 as Chicago was without Zach LaVine (back spasms) and Coby White (right adductor strain) for the second straight game.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan called DeRozan "remarkable," adding: "To do what he did today in the absence of having some guys out, I really appreciate and respect him and (Vucevic) a lot. For as long as they've been in the league, the number of games coming in a short period of time and having some guys out there that normally had not been really in our rotation a lot, it's them encouraging those guys and trying to help those guys from a leadership standpoint."
Donovan said he was unsure about LaVine's status against the Suns.
Phoenix carries a three-game series winning streak into Monday's meeting. The Suns swept last season's games, winning by five in Phoenix and by nine in Chicago.
The Suns established a trio of season defensive bests in Washington by allowing 11 points in the second quarter, 32 in the first half and 80 for the game.
"Communication. We were locked in," Williams said. "Guys were calling out situations before they happened.
"Our transition defense was on point, but (it was) the communication. All of our switching partners were locked in. When we communicate early like that and we've got hands on bodies to the legal limit, we give ourselves a chance to force teams into the second and third option, and then at that point, you've got to guard, and we were able to do that all night long."
--Field Level Media