Chicago Bulls blow 16-point lead in loss to Suns
The Phoenix Suns are one of the NBA's highest-scoring teams, averaging 105.6 points per game.
So the Chicago Bulls giving the Suns 52 points in the second half isn't too bad in itself. The distribution, though, was a killer.
After scoring a season-low 10 points in the third quarter, Phoenix exploded for 42 in the fourth and rallied for a stunning 103-101 victory on Monday night at the United Center.
The Bulls lost in unbelievable fashion. They led by 16 heading into the fourth quarter and not only couldn't stop Phoenix down the stretch but also went scoreless for the final 1:51 after a Jimmy Butler 3-pointer gave them a 101-96 advantage.
“We had them where they didn't want to play anymore,” Derrick Rose said. “That's what happens in this league if you let teams stay close. They have that confidence where half of their bench was in and they still came back. We have to find ways to close out teams.”
The Bulls (11-7) took possession with 38.5 seconds left and the score tied at 101-101. Rose missed a running one-hander, Pau Gasol couldn't get the tip to fall, and the Suns got their chance.
One strategy point worth noting, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek didn't call a timeout, which would have allowed the Bulls to put Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson back on the floor. Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe drove into the lane and tossed a pass to the corner.
Jon Leuer barely missed a corner 3-pointer, but 6-foot-9 forward Mirza Teletovic flew into the lane and grabbed the rebound — sending Rose somersaulting out of bounds in the process — retreated two steps and bounced in a 14-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds on the clock. The Bulls tried a lob to Butler at the end, but it was tipped away as time expired.
“You have to have that killer instinct,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We have yet to find it this year.”
The Suns (9-13) came into Chicago on a four-game losing streak, but that was deceptive. Three of the losses were by 3 points or fewer and the fourth was by 5 points in overtime. Phoenix lost Sunday at Memphis on an inbounds alley-oop at the buzzer to Jeff Green.
The Bulls seemed to be cruising to an easy win when the fourth quarter began, but doing things the easy way isn't the Bulls' style this season. They've had just two double-digit margins of victory — against Brooklyn in the second game of the season and then at Philadelphia on Nov. 9.
The Bulls led 82-71 with 9:08 left after a Doug McDermott jumper, but the Phoenix backcourt turned on the jets for an 18-8 run. The Suns scored on 12 of 13 possessions at one point and finally tied the score at 101-101 on Bledsoe's steal and lay in with 1:17 left.
Brandon Knight scored 17 of his 21 points in the final quarter. At one point, Knight and Bledsoe chased down offensive rebounds after their own misses three times in two possessions.
The disappearing defense in the fourth quarter will remain the game's biggest mystery for the Bulls. Gasol led the way with 22 points, while Butler had 19.
“The urgency, it just wasn't the same,” Hoiberg said. “We went out, we got stops, we got great contests. (Then) they got comfortable. They got in a rhythm. Then they were tough to stop. When we did get a stop, they got the rebound.”
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