Preview: Bulls at Suns

[February 10, 2017]  The Chicago Bulls could be without All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler for the fourth consecutive game when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Butler is bothered by a bruised heel and he reported issues to team trainers when he attempted to partake in Wednesday's shootaround.

Chicago expects to have shooting guard Dwyane Wade back in the lineup after he missed Wednesday's 123-92 loss to the Golden State Warriors due to an upper-respiratory infection. The Bulls averaged 119 points during the first three games of a six-game excursion before the sluggish offensive output against Golden State dropped them to 2-2 on the trip. Phoenix owns the worst record in the Western Conference and lost eight of its last nine games. Second-year shooting guard Devin Booker scored 20 points in Wednesday's 110-91 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and scored 20 or more points in 17 of the past 18 games.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WGN (Chicago), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE BULLS (26-27): Butler professed he plans to be careful with the injury as he doesn't want to return and then suffer a setback. "I don't want to be able to go out there and play like 10 minutes and be like, 'I can't move,'" Butler told reporters. "I want to go out there and be the player I can be on both ends of the floor. My coaches, my teammates understand that. When I go out there I want to play. There ain't gonna be no restrictions." Butler scored 28 points in each of his last two games prior to the injury.

ABOUT THE SUNS (16-37): Rookie forward Dragan Bender underwent ankle surgery to remove a bone spur on Wednesday and the prognosis is that he will be sidelined four-to-six weeks. The 19-year-old from Croatia was the fourth overall selection in last summer's draft and is averaging 3.2 points in 38 games. "It's tough, it's unfortunate," Phoenix coach Earl Watson told reporters. "But at the same time, he's 19. We don't want to rush him back. We want him to get healthy and come back and have a long career."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bulls won 11 of the past 15 meetings.

2. Chicago PG Michael Carter-Williams was 1-of-9 shooting against Golden State after connecting on 19-of-30 over the previous two games.

3. Phoenix backup SG Leandro Barbosa was just 2-of-12 shooting against Memphis after being 5-of-7 two nights earlier versus New Orleans.

PREDICTION: Suns 109, Bulls 103

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