Preview: Suns at Bulls

[January 07, 2014]  The Chicago Bulls seek their first three-game winning streak since mid-November when they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Bulls are 2-1 thus far on a four-game homestand after knocking off Atlanta 91-84 on Saturday, the club's fifth win in seven games following a 9-16 start and the third straight game in which Chicago has held an opponent to 85 points or fewer. Mike Dunleavy continued a solid personal run with 20 points off the bench and three starters finished with double-doubles.

Chicago moved forward Luol Deng to Cleveland late Monday night in exchange for center Andrew Bynum — who the Bulls are expected to waive on Tuesday — and three draft picks. Chicago's solid defense is an interesting matchup for a Suns squad that ranks among the league leaders in scoring and is second in 3-pointers per game at 9.7. Phoenix will be opening a five-game road trip after defeating Milwaukee 116-100 at home on Saturday. That rout came in the Suns' second straight game without point guard Eric Bledsoe, who ranks second on the team in scoring and assists but is sidelined a few more games with a knee injury.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), WGN (Chicago)
 

ABOUT THE SUNS (20-12): Bledsoe's absence has given Gerald Green a chance to step back into the starting lineup, and the veteran took advantage of the opportunity against Milwaukee. Green scored a team-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, giving Phoenix four straight wins when he tops the 20-point mark. The top 3-point shooter on the Suns, Green has shot 34 percentage points better from the floor in 14 games as a starter than in his 18 games off the bench.

ABOUT THE BULLS (14-18): Dunleavy has been one of the few constants for a Chicago team that lost its leader in Derrick Rose earlier this season and has dealt with other various injuries and inconsistencies. Lately, Dunleavy — who is averaging 14.7 points on 62.1 percent shooting in his last three games — has done it in the clutch. He scored 11 of his 20 points against Atlanta in the fourth quarter and shined down the stretch in a 94-82 win over Boston on Thursday, recording seven points, one assist and one blocked shot in the decisive second-half run.

BUZZER-BEATERS

1. Bulls C Joakim Noah is 13-for-39 from the floor over his last four games.
   

2. The Suns have won four of their last five on the road.
   

3. Phoenix won at Chicago in the previous meeting last January to snap a 12-game road losing streak in the series and reduce the Bulls' overall lead to 64-63.
   

PREDICTION: Bulls 95, Suns 93

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