PHOENIX – Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls snapped the Phoenix Suns' five-game winning streak with a 101-92 victory on Tuesday night.
The Bulls shot 45 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures, bouncing back from an ugly 99-70 loss at Sacramento on Monday. The Bulls shot 28 percent and were outrebounded 53-30 against the Kings.
One night later, it was a completely different story.
Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin had 18 points apiece for the Bulls, who led 44-33 at the break. Joakim Noah, who was ejected in the third quarter of the loss at Sacramento, had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Bulls kept the Suns' prolific offense in check, holding them 13 points under their average. Boozer didn't play for much of the fourth quarter as Chicago went mainly with Taj Gibson as an interior defender, but his teammates did damage on offense down the stretch.
Augustin had three fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help keep the Bulls in front. Noah also had a couple of key baskets in the fourth.
Butler's 3-pointer with 4:43 to play gave the Bulls an 89-80 lead, but Goran Dragic hit a 3 and Leandro Barbosa, playing extended minutes with sharpshooter Gerald Green struggling, drove for a layup to cut the lead to 89-85.
Then Butler and Noah came up with back-to-back baskets, and the Suns' rally fizzled.
Dragic, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, led Phoenix with 24 points. Channing Frye had 18, and Barbosa scored nine of his 13 in the fourth quarter.
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