Devin Booker, Jalen Green Power Suns Past Bulls in Late-Game Thriller 120-110

The grind of the late NBA season can mess with a team’s psyche. Coming into Sunday afternoon’s matchup at the United Center, the Phoenix Suns desperately needed a palate cleanser. Dropping back-to-back road games in Orlando and Charlotte had left a bitter taste in their mouths, and you could feel the urgency radiating from the locker room. They needed a win, plain and simple.

They got exactly that, leaning heavily on their star backcourt and some late-game defensive heroics to secure a gritty 120-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls. But the final score hardly tells the story of how incredibly tense things got in the closing minutes.

Suns Stars Shine Bright in the Windy City

When the lights are brightest, you expect your best players to shoulder the heavy lifting. Devin Booker did just that, looking absolutely effortless while pouring in a game-high 30 points. He dictated the pace of the offense, knowing exactly when to hunt for his own shot and when to distribute.

Right alongside him was Jalen Green, who continued to be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses in transition. Green racked up 25 points, constantly putting pressure on the rim and stretching the floor. Together, the duo helped the Suns build what looked like a comfortable 13-point cushion late in the third quarter. The crowd in Chicago was quiet. The game felt safely tucked away. But this is the NBA, and no lead is ever truly safe.

A Depleted Bulls Squad Refuses to Fold

You have to give Chicago a massive amount of credit. This is a team reeling from a brutal losing streak, missing their primary playmaker in Josh Giddey due to a strained hamstring, and playing without Matas Buzelis, who was sidelined with an illness. It would have been incredibly easy for them to just roll over and start looking ahead to their next game.

Instead, they clawed their way right back into the fight. Tre Jones put the team on his back, turning in a brilliant 29-point performance. He was hitting floaters, attacking the paint, and finding guys in their spots. Collin Sexton (18 points, 9 rebounds) and Leonard Miller (17 points, 10 rebounds) brought a relentless, physical energy to the glass that Phoenix struggled to contain.

Suddenly, Rob Dillingham finished a slick reverse layup, igniting a ferocious 11-0 Chicago run that blew the roof off the United Center. With just three minutes left on the clock, the Suns found themselves clinging to a terrifyingly thin 109-108 lead. You could feel the anxiety creeping in.

Dillon Brooks Plays the Fourth-Quarter Hero

This is exactly why you want a guy like Dillon Brooks on your roster. Love him or hate him, the man does not shrink from the moment.

With the game hanging completely in the balance, Brooks stepped up and drilled a massively contested fadeaway jumper to stop the bleeding. Moments later, he splashed a critical three-pointer. But the defining sequence of the entire afternoon happened on the defensive end of the floor.

Trailing by just a few possessions, the Bulls relentlessly attacked the offensive glass. They got four completely different looks at the basket on a single trip down the court. Guerschon Yabusele missed a three-pointer. Sexton grabbed the board. Miller missed a layup, snagged his own rebound, missed a tip-in, grabbed it again, and went up for a put-back. Out of nowhere, Brooks elevated and violently blocked the shot, completely deflating the building.

Booker immediately came down to the other end and buried a cold-blooded three-pointer to push the lead to 117-108. Ballgame. The Suns slammed the door shut with a dominant 11-2 run to ice it.

Moving Forward with Momentum

Relief is probably the best word to describe the mood for Phoenix right now. They weathered a massive storm on the road, improving their record to 43-35. The Suns will gladly take this momentum on the flight back home as they prepare to host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.

As for the Bulls, the heartbreak continues. Despite showing an incredible amount of heart and fight, they suffered their seventh consecutive loss. They’ll try to pick up the pieces and break the streak when they travel to Washington later this week.