Chicago Bulls (26-37) beat Phoenix Suns (35-27) 105-103 on the road on Thursday, March 5 in a game that stayed within 6 points at every quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Bulls had the better start, winning the first 24-20 to lead by 4 after one. The Bulls kept the pressure on with a 31-30 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Bulls won the third 28-27 to create some separation, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Suns took the fourth 26-22; the Bulls held on for a 105-103 regulation win.
The edge that mattered
The Bulls got more from their shots, finishing at 51.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.2% for the Suns. The Bulls took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12% of possessions compared with 13.5% for the Suns. In a 2-point game, that shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Suns did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 27.5% against 20.9%. The Bulls made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 102 possessions per team, the Bulls produced 103 points per 100 possessions to 101 for the Suns.
Who made the difference
Collin Sexton was the game's biggest individual force for CHI: 30 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast on 11-19 shooting. His Game Score of 25.7 led everyone. His team was +11 with him on the floor.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast on 9-21 shooting, good for a 17 Game Score.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Bulls entered with about a 20% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Phoenix Suns lead 2-0.
The Bulls are now 26-37, and the Suns are 35-27. The Bulls last five before this game: L-L-L-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.