Chicago trailed by as many as 15 points before rallying to beat Phoenix 124-117 in its first preseason game at home. Norman Powell and Jalen Smith supplied the cleanest offense, Josh Giddey's box score stayed quiet, and the bench did little to help the final margin.
Down 15, still standing. Phoenix built a 14-0 run early that turned a 24-24 tie into a 38-27 lead and eventually stretched the margin to 15, Chicago's low point of the night. The lead changed hands only once the rest of the way, and the Bulls' biggest cushion topped out at 10 before the final score read 124-117.
The run that hurt. The damage came from the 3:30 mark of the first quarter to 0:58, 14 unanswered Phoenix points off a flat Chicago stretch. Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie did most of the scoring in that window, and the Bulls spent much of the rest of regulation working back from it.
Powell closes it. Norman Powell scored 8 points on 1-of-2 shooting, 2-of-2 from deep and 5-of-6 at the line, including a 25-footer off a Giddey feed that cut into Phoenix's lead late in the second quarter. He played the final five minutes on the floor and still finished minus-4 in 10 minutes.
Smith's clean line. Jalen Smith shot 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from three for 9 points and 4 rebounds in 10 minutes, the tidiest shooting line on the roster for either grade or box score. Matas Buzelis matched him at 8 points on 3-of-6, missing two pull-up threes before scoring at the rim and the line.
Giddey's rough number. Josh Giddey finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 12 minutes and went 0-for-0 from the field, scoring only on free throws. His plus-minus, minus-5, was the worst mark on the team, even with the Powell assist on the board.
Bench came up empty. Isaac Okoro played 5 scoreless minutes and finished minus-12, and Dailyn Swain was minus-10 in 3 minutes. Those numbers mean little against Phoenix's bench in October, but the reserve group still has nothing on tape yet to show it belongs once games start to count.
What it changes. Nic Claxton remains out with a hamstring issue, so the frontcourt rotation Chicago leaned on Wednesday stays unsettled heading into the next four preseason games before the regular season begins October 21 at Toronto.
Did the Bulls beat the Suns in their preseason opener?
Yes. Chicago beat Phoenix 124-117 on October 7 after trailing by as many as 15 points.
Who scored the most for the Bulls against Phoenix?
Jalen Smith led Chicago with 9 points on 3-of-4 shooting, with Norman Powell and Matas Buzelis each adding 8.
