Still no Devin Booker for the Suns but, as expected, Bradley Beal makes his big debut with his new team, after missing the first seven games due to lower back pain.
He thus takes the place of Eric Gordon in the Phoenix major five, who quickly takes the lead in the score.
Chicago’s defense is so focused on Kevin Durant that the winger can easily create situations of excess, thanks to the relay of Jusuf Nurkic, from which Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen benefit. The former Wizard scores his first 3-point basket and there are already +18 (22-4) for the visitors after six minutes of play…
A reaction team if ever there was one, the Bulls still ended up getting back together, notably thanks to the contribution of Alex Carusowho scored three 3-point baskets in less than a minute to completely revive his team.
At half-time, the debates were finally balanced (57-57) but behind the external success of Grayson Allen, perfect for taking advantage of the gaps, the Suns regained a new gap in the third quarter (88-76).
It is once again the energy of Alex Caruso which is relaunching Chicago, which is completely successful a 16-0 straddling the third and fourth quarters to take the lead as money time approaches!
Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan’s missed match points
Phoenix seems to have more weapons but the Bulls hang on, with Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan scoring the important baskets to equalize (107-107) while the Phoenix attack is silent during the last three minutes of the game. Ball to Kevin Durant for the winning shot, but the good defense of Alex Caruso perfectly hampers the Arizona winger and the two teams therefore go into overtime.
We then think that the “momentum” has turned in favor of Chicago, which takes a four-point lead on a 3-pointer from the inevitable Alex Caruso (113-109). After a basket from DeMar DeRozan, there is still a four-point lead for Chicago (115-111) as we approach the last minute of added time…
Except that Jusuf Nurkic shifts Keita Bates-Diopwho hits the mark at 3-points, and the Bosnian pivot will even give the advantage back to his team (116-115) on the layup. There are 7 seconds left for the Bulls to snatch the victory and it is DeMar DeRozan who inherits the last shot. But like Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter, it was a failure and the Suns can enjoy a second consecutive victory, and the first for Bradley Beal with Phoenix.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Chicago, a reaction team. These Bulls obviously only know how to play under pressure. After erasing an 18-point gap in the first half, they went on a 16-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to erase another gap and take the lead. Desperation is a powerful driving force for this Chicago team, but this team, on the other hand, suffers from investing as soon as it does not have the knife at its throat.
– Jusuf Nurkic, relay point. To take advantage of a Chicago defense totally focused on Kevin Durant, the Suns continually used Jusuf Nurkic as a relay. The Bosnian thus found himself at the heart of the game, having to shift his teammates to take advantage of the surplus, or to finish, as in the last decisive action. Enough to cause waste (6 ball losses) but above all a lot of activity (20 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists).
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Grayson Allen. A perfect finisher at the end of the chain to take advantage of the shifts from Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic, the former Buck took the opportunity to beat his 3-point record (8). 26 points in the end for him.
✅ Alex Caruso. Billy Donovan doesn’t want to start him in order to control his minutes, but what a difference when he’s on the field. It was his 3-pointers that revived the Bulls in the first half, and his activity that helped Chicago achieve a 16-0 run in the second half. He logically ends up with the best +/- of the match at +24.
⛔️ Eric Gordon. The life of a role player is not easy. While he had been valuable as a starter in Detroit, Eric Gordon found himself on the bench with the return to business of Bradley Beal. Enough to lose your rhythm to end the match with 2 points at 1/9 shooting, and more ball losses (3) than passes (2).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
