Boozer Powers Bulls To 101-92 Win At Phoenix
PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls snapped the Phoenix Suns' five-game winning streak with a 101-92 victory on Tuesday night.
The Bulls shot 45 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures, bouncing back from an ugly 99-70 loss at Sacramento on Monday. The Bulls shot 28 percent and were outrebounded 53-30 against the Kings.
One night later, it was a completely different story.
Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin had 18 points apiece for the Bulls, who won for the fifth straight time in Phoenix. Joakim Noah, who was ejected in the third quarter of the loss at Sacramento, had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Bulls kept the Suns' prolific offense in check, holding them 13 points under their average. Boozer didn't play for much of the fourth quarter as Chicago went mainly with Taj Gibson as an interior defender, but his teammates did damage on offense down the stretch.
Augustin had three fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help keep the Bulls in front. Noah also had a couple of key baskets in the fourth.
Butler's 3-pointer with 4:43 to play gave the Bulls an 89-80 lead, but Goran Dragic hit a 3 and Leandro Barbosa, playing extended minutes with sharpshooter Gerald Green struggling, drove for a layup to cut the lead to 89-85.
Then Butler and Noah came up with back-to-back baskets, and the Suns' rally fizzled.
Dragic, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, led Phoenix with 24 points. Channing Frye had 18, and Barbosa scored nine of his 13 in the fourth quarter.
Down 13 points in the third quarter, the Suns went on a 13-4 run to close to 50-46 on Dragic's driving layup at the 9-minute mark. The Bulls went up by 11 on a follow by Boozer, but the Suns cut the lead to 60-55 on a pair of Dragic free throws with 4:36 left.
Mike Dunleavy scored eight of his 11 points in the third quarter, helping Chicago carry a 69-63 lead into the fourth.
The game started with a brisk pace, but the Suns missed more shots and had more turnovers in what turned out to be an offensively deficient first quarter. So low that the 13 points for Phoenix was its lowest total in a first quarter this season.
Boozer had eight points and five rebounds to help Chicago to a 21-13 lead after one.
NOTES: Noah was fined $15,000 by the NBA for verbally abusing officials after he was ejected Monday in Sacramento. Noah started Tuesday night's game. "I never thought it warranted suspension, so it was probably appropriate," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He got fined for cursing." ... Suns players Markieff Morris, Dragic and Green were assessed technical fouls. ... Suns guard Eric Bledsoe missed his bobblehead night with a right knee injury. . A bird got into the US Airways Center seating bowl during the second quarter and flew a lap around the court and into the upper deck before finding its way out.
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