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 “We can’t bank on the fact that we have a good record right now
(11-6),” Chicago center Pau Gasol told ESPN.com. “We have to be
really demanding of ourselves and look ourselves in the mirror and
know that we have room for improvement.” The Bulls are 2-1 on their
four-game homestand and 7-3 over the last 10 contests as they try to
take advantage of the Suns, who have dropped four in a row and eight
of nine. Phoenix coughed up a lead in the fourth quarter to lose
95-93 on Jeff Green’s buzzer-beating dunk at Memphis on Sunday.
Guard Eric Bledsoe scored 23 and has at least 20 in 13 of his last
15 games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE SUNS (8-13): Phoenix is having serious problems closing
out games after getting outscored 115-87 combined in the fourth
quarter during the last four contests. The Suns, who are among the
league leaders in 3-point shooting, converted just 9-of-31 from
beyond the arc against Memphis. Bledsoe (22.2) and Brandon Knight
(21.4) are one of the top-scoring backcourt duos in the league, but
one of their other scoring weapons, Markieff Morris (12.1), has been
bothered by a knee injury.
ABOUT THE BULLS (11-6): Derrick Rose has continued his offensive
struggles by shooting 31 percent from the field over the last five
games and averaging 13.8 points in that span. “It’s kind of exciting
to see that we’re winning games and I still didn’t even reach my
full potential yet,” Rose told ESPN.com. Jimmy Butler, who scored 25
on Saturday, leads the team (20.5) while Gasol is contributing 14.4
points and 10.8 rebounds per contest as the Bulls average 98.7
points – two less than last season.
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BUZZER BEATERS
1. Chicago F Nikola Mirotic suffered a concussion in the win over
Denver on Wednesday, but returned to score seven points in 27
minutes three days later.
2. Phoenix F Jon Leuer has taken advantage of extra playing time of
late to average 14.3 points the last three games.
3. The Bulls won 103-97 at Phoenix on Nov. 18 for their seventh
victory in the last nine meetings versus the Suns.
PREDICTION: Bulls 106, Suns 98
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