Bulls Hold Off Suns 105-103 Behind Sexton’s Career Night in Phoenix
Collin Sexton has been quietly building something special in Chicago. On Thursday night at the Mortgage Matchup Center, he let everybody know about it.
Sexton dropped a season-high 30 points — his first 30-point game as a member of the Bulls — going 11-of-19 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line to carry Chicago past the Phoenix Suns 105-103. It was gritty, it was ugly at times, and it was exactly the kind of win a struggling team needed. The Bulls, who had lost 11 straight games not long ago, have now won two of their last three. Something is starting to stir on the South Side.
“That was the ugliest all-around game of the season,” one observer noted about Phoenix.
Bulls Survive a Fourth-Quarter Scare
The Bulls had a 12-point lead with under six minutes to go in the fourth, and for a moment, it looked like this one was over.
Phoenix, fueled by Devin Booker’s relentless shot-making, chipped away. Booker — in just his second game back from a right hip injury — was nothing short of spectacular, pouring in 27 points on gutsy shot after gutsy shot. With 23 seconds left, he drained a pull-up three to cut the deficit to 104-103. The Suns were alive.
Then Jalen Green had a chance to give Phoenix the lead on a running layup. He missed. Amir Coffey, scrambling for the loose ball, fouled Nick Richards with 4.1 seconds remaining. Richards made the first free throw, missed the second, and Tre Jones — showing remarkable composure — grabbed the offensive rebound and ran the clock down to zero. Ballgame.
Sexton, Jones, and Yabusele Carry the Load
Three Bulls players made this win possible.
Sexton was the engine. His 30 points came with five assists and zero quit. He attacked the rim, drew fouls, and made big shot after big shot when the Bulls needed breathing room. This was a statement game from a player still trying to establish himself in Chicago.
Tre Jones was everywhere. He finished with 21 points and five assists, and his instincts down the stretch — particularly that final rebound to ice the game — were the kind of plays that don’t show up in a box score but absolutely win games.
Guerschon Yabusele added 16 points off 6-of-15 shooting, including a massive three-pointer late in the fourth that pushed the Bulls’ lead back to six. When it mattered most, Yabusele delivered.
It’s also worth noting what the Bulls did without. Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey — the team’s two leading scorers — both sat out with ankle injuries suffered in Tuesday’s home loss to Oklahoma City. Chicago was shorthanded and playing on the road.
That’s how Chicago got this done. In a game where they shot just 25% from three (7-of-28), the Bulls made up for their outside struggles by getting downhill and attacking. It was a blue-collar performance in every sense of the word.
Phoenix shot better from deep (13-of-46, 28.3%), but couldn’t capitalize when it mattered. Jalen Green, who finished with just 12 points on a dismal 5-of-20 shooting night (1-of-8 from three), simply wasn’t himself. The Suns needed more from him, and he couldn’t deliver.
This win opens a five-game road trip for Chicago. The Bulls head to Sacramento on Saturday night before continuing what will be a defining stretch of their season.
At 26-37, the Bulls aren’t a playoff team. But they’re playing with more fight than they have in weeks, and Thursday’s win in Phoenix is proof that this group can compete on any floor when Sexton is locked in.
Next up for Phoenix: a home game against New Orleans on Friday. After blowing a 12-point lead and letting a shorthanded Bulls squad walk out of their building with a win, the Suns will have plenty to think about overnight.
