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Bulls-Suns Preview
Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns
- The Bulls have not lost at Phoenix since November 15, 2007 (five years ago tomorrow). The Bulls have won three straight at Phoenix, including a 123-115 double-overtime thriller on November 24, 2010. Overall, Chicago has won three straight in the series and six of the last seven.
- Despite double-doubles from Joakim Noah (17 pts, 11 reb) and Luol Deng (26 pts, 11 reb), the Bulls lost at home to the Celtics on Monday, 101-95, and have now lost three of five after starting the season 2-0.
- The Suns beat the Nuggets on Monday, 110-100, getting double-figure scoring from seven different players. The Suns had a season-low six turnovers in evening their record at 4-4.
- Luol Deng is averaging 23.0 points per game in his last four games and is shooting 53.6 percent (37-for-69) from the field.
- Marcin Gortat has at least one blocked shot in all eight games this season and is tied for the NBA lead with 29 (tied with Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka).
- The Bulls allowed the Celtics to shoot 50.6 percent (41-for-81) on Monday. It was the first regular-season game in which Chicago allowed its opponent to shoot over 50 percent since January 17, 2012 when Phoenix shot 51.4 percent (38-for-74) at Chicago.
By JUSTIN EINHORN
(AP) -- Having the best road record in the NBA helped the Chicago Bulls finish atop the Eastern Conference last season.
How they'll do away from home this season minus Derrick Rose remains to be seen.
The Bulls will double the number of road games they've played with a matchup against the improving Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night to open a five-game trip.
Chicago (4-3) did dominate its lone road game, but that 115-86 victory was against lowly Cleveland and came back on Nov. 2. The Bulls have since alternated wins and losses.
"We're going to get better," center Joakim Noah told the team's official website after Monday's 101-95 loss to Boston. "We've just got to keep fighting and not point fingers, stay together as a group."
Spending two weeks on the road may be a good time for that to happen. This five-game trek doesn't end until Nov. 24 in Milwaukee.
The Bulls were 24-9 on the road during the 2011-12 regular season but had a 6-7 mark, including playoffs, when Rose didn't play. The superstar point guard remains sidelined by a torn ACL suffered in the postseason.
Rose's replacement is Kirk Hinrich, but his status for this game is uncertain after sitting out Monday with a strained right hip. He was struggling anyway, shooting 31.0 percent over his last four games while averaging 4.5 assists.
Fellow offseason acquisition Nate Robinson took over the starting role Monday and had 11 points with seven assists.
Whoever plays the point for Chicago may have a tough matchup with Goran Dragic, the only Phoenix player to score in double figures in every game. He had 21 points and hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range in a 110-100 win over Denver on Monday.
Sixth man Shannon Brown added 19 points as seven players scored in double figures for the new-look Suns (4-4). They've won three of four, with Brown scoring at least 19 in each victory and only four in the loss.
"I just think everybody is getting a little more familiar with each other," coach Alvin Gentry said. "That's big. ... The idea of just knowing the guy a little bit better beside you."
No Western Conference team is turning the ball over less than the Suns (13.1 per game) after they committed six Monday.
Chicago has forced only 19 turnovers over the last two games and gave up 100 points for the first time this season Monday.
The Bulls' usually good defense and rebounding - they've lost the battle on the glass only once this season - can be greatly attributed to Noah. He's averaging a career-high 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds but could get a challenge from Marcin Gortat, who has five double-doubles in his last seven games.
Chicago's Luol Deng has averaged 23.0 points over his last four games. The former first-round pick of the Suns has averaged 23.6 points and 9.4 rebounds in his last five visits to Phoenix.
The Bulls have won three in a row and six of seven against the Suns, including three straight in Phoenix.
Updated November 13, 2012
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