KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Zach LaVine, who is 1-7 from field and 8-10 from line, is just 2nd Bull to crack double figures. And there’s 3:39 left in the 3rd. LaVine joins Vucevic. – 11:37 PM

Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
I don’t think it’s said enough — that the Phoenix Suns went to and left The Finals with the “potentially fraudulent” label, and then they just came out and smacked everyone all season.
They have the best record in the NBA by a mile. I just don’t get how they’re not the favorite. – 11:26 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Out of a timeout, LaVine throws crosscourt pass that is picked off for Craig transition layup. – 11:25 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Bulls need to clone Alex Caruso. Between his last couple possessions on Booker at end of first half to his energy to start second—has block and steal already—he has been everywhere. – 11:23 PM

Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Caruso gets the second-half start for Javonte Green, which Billy Donovan just spoke about the other day as a possibility. It doesn’t seem to matter much right now. – 11:22 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Alex Caruso starts the second half in Javonte Green’s place.
Billy Donovan said it’s been a challenge figuring out whether to start Caruso while he’s still on this

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Bulls are playing angry and more aggressive on defense, but aside from a few turnovers, the Suns are just moving the ball to the right spots. Lead is now 18 – 11:22 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Ayo Dosunmu is consistently improving his timing to jump the passing lane when a ball gets switched back up to the top of the arc. He starts the second half with a transition bucket off a steal from that play. – 11:21 PM

Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Suns’ lead is now up to 18. Bulls came out of the half with more aggressive defense but Phoenix had the passes to beat the rotations. – 11:20 PM

Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Alex Caruso starts the second half for the Bulls over Javonte Green — and Caruso was immediately matched with Devin Booker – 11:19 PM

Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Bulls down 13 at the break. Vucevic with 10. DeRozan and White each with 9. Lavine 3pts 5 assists. Booker with 20. – 11:17 PM

Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Suns went 3-13 from 3 (with some open misses) in that first half, but still put up 61 points. Shot 20-31 (64.5%) inside the arc, 12-12 from free-throw line – 11:03 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Suns 61, Bulls 48 at half
Vucevic 10 pts
DeRozan 9 pts
LaVine 3 pts, 5 assists
Booker 20 pts
Ayton 10 pts, 7 rebs – 11:01 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Maybe the referees heard Devin Booker question why he only has six FTAs in his previous four games.
Is 7-of-7 from the line tonight.
#Suns up 13 with less than a minute remaining in the 1st half. – 11:00 PM

Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
light MVP chant for Booker with his last FTs so now DeRozan is at the line and gets much louder MVP chants from a strong Bulls contingent that is drowned out by boos – 11:00 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
DeRozan goes flying for a two-handed slam, but the Suns still hold a 12-point lead.
The Bulls have some punch on the offensive end, but the Suns are shooting 56.1% from the field and Booker is scorching the defense. – 10:59 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Bulls allowed 71 points in second half in Utah and have allowed 61 and counting in 1st half tonight in Phoenix. – 10:59 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Nikola Vucevic gets hit with a tech. He had been complaining about a couple of no-calls, turned to the ref after that last one and immediately got T’d up – 10:56 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kevin Durant says he thinks the MVP race this year is between Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant and Nikola Jokic. Says his pick is Joel Embiid, but says the award can go any way. – 10:55 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kevin Durant asked to pick the league’s MVP, said he’d go with Joel Embiid, but said his top four are Ja Morant, Jokic, Embiid and DeMar DeRozan. – 10:54 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
The Suns are getting some separation with a 52-42 lead.
And it could be much worse — the Suns are only shooting 23% from 3-point range. – 10:51 PM

Will Guillory @WillGuillory
The Pelicans have played 11 games since coming back from the All-Star break:
— 5 losses
— 5 wins by 25+ points
— 1 win by 15 over the 1st place Phoenix Suns – 10:41 PM

Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Fun quarter. Fair bit of slippage for the Suns defensively before DeRozan got going in the last couple minutes. Booker with 13 points. – 10:33 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Clippers started second half on an 8-1 run over the first 4:25 of third quarter.
It would take five more of those to make up this deficit. And Utah still leads 76-42 with 6:12 left in third quarter.
Utah fans do get to see Trevor Booker who is here tonight, so there’s that. – 10:31 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
This secondary matchup in the post between Tristan Thompson and JaVale McGee has been a good one so far. Thompson winning that one 4-0 so far. – 10:31 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Hype video for the Kahleah Copper vs. Sophie Cunningham — wait, I mean Sky vs. Mercury — rematch on the big screen here in Phoenix during a timeout. Plenty of excitement for that one. – 10:29 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
The Bulls are trying to push the pace a bit here to catch the Suns on their back foot. Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso are establishing that tempo. – 10:23 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Two completely unguarded 3-pointers followed by two offensive rebounds for the Suns, capped off with a 3-pointer from Booker to take a 13-12 lead. – 10:17 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Devin Booker’s got 9 points in the first 5 minutes. Suns got three looks at a 3 on that last possession before Booker drilled it. Crowd liked that one – 10:17 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Suns take 3 3-pointers on same possession after 2 offensive rebounds. Booker finally converts. – 10:17 PM

Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Tough break for the Raptors. With their OT loss to the Lakers & Cleveland’s OT win over Denver, Cavs retake a 1-game lead for 6th seed, and it’s more like 2 games when you factor in the tiebreaker. 12 games left, and the next 3 will be pivotal: at Philly, at Chicago, vs Cleveland – 10:17 PM

Tony Mejia @MejiaDinero
OVER 156.5 wins in Arizona/ Wright State but I didn’t get down to the book early enough so a PUSH for me. Needed aggressive garbage time. Winning TCU/Seton Hall UNDER but wanted a better number. Growls galore – 10:16 PM

Doug Smith @SmithRaps
Lose to Detroit, Orlando and the Lakers at home, win back-t0-back on the road at Phoenix and Denver
You try to figure out the Raptors, I dare you – 10:09 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Patrick Williams could be ready to play limited minutes in Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.
Billy Donovan didn’t rule out also playing him in Milwaukee on a back-to-back. – 8:51 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Billy Donovan says Lonzo Ball “has not responded” in his recovery.
Still stuck trying to get up to full speed drills, Lonzo keeps having discomfort attempting to go 100%.
The one positive is that he’s not having pain doing everyday things like going up the stairs anymore. – 8:46 PM

Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Not good news on Lonzo Ball. He’s not regressed, but he’s definitely stalled out in the current rehab program. – 8:42 PM

Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Lonzo Ball is still not doing anything full speed, per Billy Donovan. Any time he gets close there’s discomfort in knee. Donovan said team has considered backing off and letting him rest for a period of time. Didn’t call it a setback, but said Ball “hasn’t responded” – 8:41 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Billy Donovan on Lonzo Ball: “He has not responded.” Said no setbacks. Just can’t get him to full speed. – 8:38 PM

Darnell Mayberry @DarnellMayberry
Billy Donovan said Monday’s game against Toronto and Tuesday’s game against Milwaukee are real possibilities for Patrick Williams to return to the Bulls’ lineup. – 8:33 PM

Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
No setbacks in Patrick Williams’ practice time with Windy City Bulls, Billy Donovan says. Donovan will watch him practice and meet with him when Bulls get back to Chicago tomorrow
They’ll decide tomorrow if Williams will play in WCB’s game Sunday – 8:32 PM

Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf joins me at halftime to set the record straight on Tracey McGrady’s contention Michael Jordan would have retired had a proposed deal gone down in 1997 involving Scottie Pippen. Truth is Reinsdorf vetoed a draft day deal with Boston involving Pippen – 8:31 PM

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Patrick Williams has been full go with no setbacks in G League practices, per Billy Donovan. Bulls will decide tomorrow if Williams plays Sunday for Windy City. – 8:31 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Monty Williams said the #Suns “don’t become Chris and Book dimensional when it counts.”
That’s why he’s big on Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges being more involved in the offense to help Chris Paul and Devin Booker. – 8:23 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
Tom Thibodeau begins his press conference by sending condolences to the family of longtime coach and scout Tom Barrise. Barrise, who spent 17 years with the Nets, passed away on Friday. Thibodeau worked with Barrise in Chicago. “Just a great basketball guy,” Thibodeau said. – 6:52 PM

Marc Berman @NYPost_Berman
Tom Thibodeau started his press conference by giving condolences to the family of Cavaliers scout and former Nets scout Tom Barrise, who passed away today of cancer. Barrise was Thibodeau’s advance scout in Chicago. An extremely friendly, terrific guy. Briefly Nets interim HC. – 5:58 PM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
“We’ve got to start punching these teams in the mouth.”
The Bulls have been struggling with stagnant first quarters ever since the All-Star break.
Zach LaVine believes hotter starts could help the team shake their current slump: trib.al/jjDqZo2 – 4:59 PM