It was a great start to the game for the Chicago Bulls as they played their first game without Derrick Rose this season.
The Bulls started off hot as they shot 72% from the field as they displayed great ball movement early on. Pau Gasol got off to a good start as he had eight points and has shown strong signs of life on offense after he struggled to begin the offense. Jimmy Butler, who was given reigns of the offense with Rose's absence had a good first quarter has he put up ten including a great alley oop from Nikola Mirotic. The great offense helped Chicago to a 31-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Phoenix Suns on the other hand, had a horrible start to the game as they looked out of sorts on offense. But the Suns stuck with the quick shooting gameplan and they turned things around in the second quarter. Brandon Knight, who is having a monster season for the Suns, started to pick up things in the second quarter as he and Eric Bledsoe helped cut Chicago's big lead to single digits halfway through the second quarter.
They were aided by ten Chicago turnovers and poor offense execution from the Bulls, who seemed to forget the offense they had played in the first quarter. Now it was the Bulls turn to look out of sorts and Phoenix's turn to show how dangerous of an offense team they are.
The Suns ended the half on a 22-11 run as they were able to end the half on a solid run and make it a six point game at the half. Knight had 15 points to lead all scorers.
The Suns continued to put on the pressure in the second half as they kept chipping away at the lead. But Butler and the Bulls kept holding on the lead until a steal by Ronny Price tied up the game at 70 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. But the Bulls still held a two point lead going into the 4th.
The Suns completed the comeback when Devin Booker hit a three to give Phoenix their first lead since the first quarter. But it was two great possessions by Jimmy Butler that got Chicago back into the game. First he got Booker to jump in the air and drew a foul. Then he got the rookie to jump again on the next possession and then he hit the jumpshot after to make it a three point play.
The teams kept battling back and forth as the offenses for both teams was just clicking on all cylinders. Phoenix took the lead again with 5 minutes left but a Gasol power dunk gave Chicago the lead right back. Kirk Hinrich then hit a clutch three off a Butler screen to give Chicago a four point lead.
But it was the Jimmy Butler show late as he took over for the Bulls on offense. It was Butler's 32 points that helped the Bulls seal the 103-97 victory.