Depleted Bulls can't stay with Suns
All things considered, this might have been one of the best defensive performances in the NBA this season.
But it was wasted, because the Bulls couldn't find enough replacements for top scorers Ben Gordon (sprained right wrist) and Luol Deng (left Achilles' tendinitis), both out for a third straight game.
The Bulls held the high-scoring Phoenix Suns to a full-strength, season-low point total but suffered an 88-77 loss Sunday at the United Center, a game that was mercifully not shown on local television.
The Suns' actual season low was 86 points in a loss at Utah on Jan. 10, but they played that night without Steve Nash, Shawn Marion or Grant Hill. On Sunday against the Bulls, only Hill (back spasms) was missing.
"The intensity we played with for most of the afternoon is the kind of thing we need to really go back to being a good defensive team," coach Jim Boylan said. "So we'll take that from the game."
Maybe the Suns (32-13) were due for an off-night. They had averaged 112.4 points in their previous five games and knocked down 17 of 33 shots from 3-point range Friday in Cleveland. Against the Bulls, Phoenix made 5 of 25 attempts from 3-point land.
Offensively, the Bulls were a one-man show. Kirk Hinrich (31 points) produced his second 30-point game in five days, but otherwise they couldn't have bought a basket if their latest paychecks were distributed in cash.
Andres Nocioni (3-for-13) was colder than a South American summer. Joe Smith (2-for-12) was ineffective two days after having fluid drained from his right knee. Chris Duhon (2-for-8) suggested he might need more time off for a bruised left knee after he couldn't finish layups at the rim.
Beyond Hinrich's 31, the Bulls' second-leading scorers were Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha with 10 each. And Thomas hit 1 of 10 shots in the second half.
"This is a tough situation," Smith said. "We call it the 'No Pity League.' When you have guys down, you know guys are going to cut your throat even more. So we've just got to find a way to put it together."
The Bulls (17-26) scored 77 points for the second consecutive game. They started by missing 13 of their first 14 shots, then hit a four-minute dry spell in the fourth quarter as Phoenix pulled away with a 12-0 run.
In between, the Bulls were surprisingly competitive for a team with only one guy who could find the basket.
"They're (without) two of their top scorers, so they lose a lot of offense," Suns forward Shawn Marion said. "But the way things were going today, those guys might have had a hard time scoring, too."
The Bulls took a brief lead in the third quarter and were within 70-66 with 9:40 remaining. Then the home team missed its next 6 shots, with 3 turnovers, allowing Phoenix to pull away.
Deng suggested he will try running in the next few days but doesn't think he will return to game action for at least another week. Gordon was optimistic that he will return Tuesday against Minnesota, but there is no guarantee.
"It's definitely getting better every day," Gordon said. "I'm just trying to make some progress every day and at the same time be careful because it's my right wrist and I really don't want to hurt it any worse than it already is."