National Basketball Association
Chicago 103, Phoenix 97
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #34 Kevin Cutler, #60 James Williams
Attendance: 17377

PHOENIX -- Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler was lamenting his shooting touch of late before Wednesday's game with the Phoenix Suns.

However, in the fourth quarter, with his team in need of a finishing kick, Butler scored 14 of his season-high 32 points, and the Bulls won their fourth consecutive game.

Chicago beat Phoenix 103-97, and then the Bulls headed to Oakland, Calif., for a meeting with the 12-0 Golden State Warriors on Friday.

"It felt good to make some shots and see the ball go through the net," said Butler, who was 14-for-41 from the field in his previous three games before going 11-for-23 Wednesday. "My teammates just kept giving me the ball and telling me to shoot it whether I wanted to or not. They said to be aggressive and take the shots I think I can make. That's what I did."

Butler had 20 points in the second half while playing all 24 minutes. He hit the 30-point mark for the eighth time in his career.

"He did it all for us in that fourth quarter," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg said. "I tried to take him out, and he wouldn't let me. It was almost like his energy level went up as the game went on. That's what big-time performers do; they step up when you need it most."

Chicago (8-3) improved to 6-1 in its past seven trips to Phoenix dating back to 2007.

Guard Kirk Hinrich, starting in place of Derrick Rose (sprained left ankle), added 14 points and six assists in 24 minutes.

"I just wanted to be solid, play hard and do the best I could," said the 34-year-old Hinrich, who ranks third behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in games played for the Bulls. "When I feel fresh, I feel good about my shot, and I'm feeling fresh right now. I'm just trying to keep my conditioning and my health good and keep contributing."

Suns guard Brandon Knight scored 23 points, guard Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and seven assists, and forward P.J. Tucker added 20 points, two shy of his career high. Phoenix (6-5) missed a chance to complete a four-game homestand sweep after wins against the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

"There were a few breakdowns, but at the end of the day, they made tough shots," Tucker said. "We didn't get a lot of consecutive stops tonight. We relied too much on our offense and not as much on the defense. We didn't finish."

The Bulls put up 31 points in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said the 31 points Chicago scored in the first quarter hurt his team as much.

"They are a good team. They don't need any extra confidence," Hornacek said. "But when they come in and make 11 of their first 13 (shots) that they take ... now it's uphill. We were battling all night to get back and finally get the lead."

Phoenix rallied from 17 points down in the second quarter and led 88-87 after two Bledsoe free throws with 4:47 left.

The Bulls regained the lead on a dunk by center Pau Gasol and a 3-pointer from Hinrich. Butler put the game out of reach with a driving layup, a 21-foot jumper and a 3-point dagger with 1:08 left to make it 99-92 Chicago.

"Butler made every shot, Hinrich made a couple of big ones, and when the game was on the line, they made them," Hornacek said.

Gasol finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Bulls guard Aaron Brooks had 12 points before leaving the game with a left hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.

"I don't know how it will be, but it's pretty bad. It's nothing I've ever been through before," Brooks said. "I didn't feel a tear or a pop. I'll wake up and see how it feels tomorrow.

Even without Rose, the Bulls put on an offensive clinic in the first quarter. Chicago made 13 of 18 shots (72 percent) and collected 11 assists on the 13 baskets. Butler, Gasol and forward Nikola Mirotic combined for 21 of Chicago's first 23 points and had 24 in the quarter.

Butler led the Bulls with 10 and capped the quarter with a 19-footer with 1:03 left to give Chicago a 31-18 lead entering the second. Tucker had seven for the Suns, who missed 14 of 22 shots while the Bulls exploded.

Chicago expanded the lead to 17 points twice in the second quarter, the last at 42-25 on a Gasol turnaround jumper with seven minutes left. The Suns finally warmed up from the field and responded with a 21-8 run over the last six minutes, with Tucker's layup with 1:19 pulling the Suns back within 48-44.

The Bulls shots 36.4 percent in the quarter (8-for-22) but still led 53-47 at the half.

Chicago stretched the lead back to eight in the third quarter, with Hinrich scoring six points and guard E'Twaun Moore making it 70-62 Bulls on a 12-foot floater with 1:54 left.

The Suns answered with eight straight points, as rookie guard Devin Booker and Bledsoe hit back-to-back 3-pointers before guard Ronnie Price tied the score at 70 on a steal and layup with 51.7 seconds left in the third.

NOTES: Chicago G Derrick Rose is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle. "(Rose) did some tests, some balance work, and it's just really still sore," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We'll take a look at him again tomorrow." ... The Suns were without F T.J. Warren, who sat out due to the flu. He had a career-high 19 points in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. ... In the two-plus games F Markieff Morris missed with a left knee sprain, Phoenix went 3-0 and outscored its opponents by a combined 50 points. ... Suns G Brandon Knight recorded his 1,000th rebound Monday in a triple-double effort against the Lakers (30 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists), joining Joe Johnson as the only Phoenix players to collect 4,000 points and 1,000 rebounds before their 24th birthdays.
Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   Phoenix
Jimmy Butler 32 Scoring Brandon Knight 23
Kirk Hinrich 6 Assists Eric Bledsoe 7
Joakim Noah 11 Rebounds Tyson Chandler 9
Jimmy Butler 7 Free Throws Made Brandon Knight 6
Pau Gasol 2 Steals Markieff Morris 3
Pau Gasol 1 Blocks Devin Booker 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Chicago 103 49.4 9-19 12-14 24 47 2 7 20
Phoenix 97 40.7 8-27 15-21 16 43 4 12 12
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Denver. The Suns have a W/L % of .429 after a win and .750 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against Golden State. The Bulls have a W/L % of .625 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.