Bulls Survive Suns' Late Rally for Thrilling 105-103 Road Victory

It was a plain-game, but the Chicago Bulls embellished it with a thriller.

Chicago defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-103 at Mortgage Matchup Arena on Wednesday night, capturing their first win of a five-game road trip. The Bulls seized an early commanding lead and stifled Phoenix for most of the game before surviving a furious final-minute push from the home team.

Without Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, Colin Sexton led the shorthanded Bulls with a season-high 30 points, along with five assists and two steals. Tre Jones followed with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists. Guerschon Yabusele notched 16 points and six rebounds. Nick Richards nearly reached a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

On the Phoenix side, Devin Booker led the way with 27 points but committed four costly turnovers. Grayson Allen contributed 21 points and eight assists in the losing effort.

The Bulls jumped out to an early 7-0 lead to start the game, then built a double-digit advantage at 20-9 while the Suns went ice-cold from the field. Sexton and Jones shouldered the offensive burden early, while head coach Billy Donovan deployed reserves like Yuki Kawamura and Lachlan Olbrich to switch gears and maintain energy. Chicago led by nine points before Phoenix clawed back to make it a five-point game entering the second quarter, exposing the Bulls' struggles from beyond the arc.

Phoenix continued threatening after Allen knocked down his second consecutive triple, but Chicago rejuvenated with another scoring run that created a nine-point cushion, forcing the home team to call a timeout. Sexton hustled for a second-chance opportunity after missing a free throw, converting it into another two-shot chance by drawing a foul. Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller added seven points for an 11-point Bulls lead with nearly three minutes remaining before halftime.

Booker and Allen answered with two treys before Sexton created space for a step-back three at the top of the key. The duo combined for another five points, trimming Chicago's halftime lead to 55-50.

The Bulls opened the second half with Jones' triple. Sexton and Isaac Okoro's four points handed Chicago an eight-point advantage. The Bulls maintained their lead for several minutes while capitalizing on transition opportunities. As Phoenix trimmed the deficit to five, Sexton broke away with two consecutive drives. When Oso Ighodaro scored a driving hook to make it a two-point game, the Bulls again exploited the Suns' defensive lapses — Jones threw an alley-oop to Miller for a thunderous finish. Jones then converted two driving layups to keep Chicago leading 83-77 entering the final frame.

Phoenix didn't score its first field goal of the fourth quarter until two minutes had elapsed, allowing the Bulls to widen the gap to nine points. Sexton found space for an alley-oop to Richards for a powerful hammer, pushing the lead to 11. Sexton then knocked down a deep triple for his first 30-point performance as a Bull.

After a scoring drought, Allen and Amir Coffey drained consecutive threes to slice the score to 98-94. Jones stepped up in the clutch, finding a driving lane for a strong finish, followed by Yabusele's crunch-time corner three-pointer. Coffey carried Phoenix with another three before fouling Jones. After Jones nailed one of two free throws, Booker came up with a massive three-pointer to make it a one-point game.

Following Okoro's brutal turnover on a sideline bad pass, Yabusele redeemed Chicago by contesting Booker's final shot attempt. Richards secured the defensive rebound and drew a foul. Though missing one of two, the Suns couldn't corral the rebound as Jones made the first touch, immediately throwing the ball high in the air and waiting for the final whistle.

Chicago will continue its road trip, visiting Sacramento on March 8 at 8 p.m. CT.