The Chicago Bulls surrendered a 23 point lead to the Phoenix Suns in a 115-113 loss on Monday, January 22, on the road.
Although the Bulls led most of the game, the team had no solution for the Suns offense in the third and fourth quarters. Forward Kevin Durant led all scorers with 43 points including a game winning jumper with 1.6 seconds left in regulation.
“There’s been some games this year — quite honestly — that we’ve lost that we have no right to be upset about,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan via the Associated Press. “This is a game that you can be upset because you poured your heart and soul into it and came up short.”
The Bulls jumped out on the Suns early building a 37-22 lead in the first quarter and a 66-49 lead at halftime.
Guard Coby White scored a team-high 26 points versus the Suns but was outmatched by the perimeter scoring of Durant.
According to Bulls PR, White totaled 11 points and 5 assists in the first quarter, marking the first time in his career he recorded 10 plus points and 5 plus assists in a single quarter. He is the first Bulls player this season to tally such stats in a quarter.
Final Score: Bulls 113, Suns 115
With the loss, the Bulls are now 21-24 on the season. The team will play their next game on Thursday, January 25, versus the Los Angeles Lakers on the road. Game time 9:30 p.m.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
