Maybe the Chicago Bulls just need a vacation?
After going 1-6 during their seven-game home stretch, the new-look Bulls will now travel to warmer weather for a roughly two-week road trip. Their five-game Western Conference journey will start in Phoenix, where they will face off against a Suns squad that has exceeded all expectations this season.
The franchise rebuilt on the fly around franchise centerpiece Devin Booker, surrounding the sharpshooter with a scrappy supporting cast of high-energy defenders and talented shooters. The team holds a Top 10 defensive rating this season, as well as makes the sixth-highest number of threes per game. Their strong two-way game will certainly prove difficult for this banged-up Bulls team to stop.
For what it's worth, Phoenix has also proven to be Chicago's Achilles heel for years. You have to go all the way back to March of 2019 to find the last time the Bulls were able to pick up a victory against this Sun team. I'll save you the headache and choose not remind you who was on the team back then.
How to Watch
Who: Chicago Bulls (25-37) at Phoenix Suns (35-26)
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center
When: 8:00 PM CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network
Projected Starting Lineups
Chicago Bulls
1. Tre Jones
2. Collin Sexton
3. Isaac Okoro
4. Leonard Miller
5. Guerschon Yabusele
Oklahoma City Thunder
1. Cason Wallace
2. Isaiah Joe
3. Aaron Wiggins
4. Luguentz Dort
5. Chet Holmgren
Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls
Feb 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) warms up before an NBA game against the New York Knicks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bulls will be without Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey tonight after both players tweaked their ankles against the Charlotte Hornets. For Buzelis, this will be only the third missed game of his NBA career. He had appeared in all 62 games of the 2025-26 campaign up until this point, recently taking over a significant offensive workload.
As for the Suns, they announced earlier on Thursday that they will now be without seven-footer Mark Williams for multiple weeks. The big man has a stress fracture in his foot after putting together a career year with the potentially playoff-bound team.
Chicago Bulls Injury Report
Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
Jaden Ivey – OUT (knee)
Josh Giddey – OUT (ankle)
Matas Buzelis – OUT (ankle)
Jalen Smith – OUT (calf)
Patrick Williams – OUT (quad)
Zach Collins – OUT FOR SEASON
Noa Essengue – OUT FOR SEASON
Phoenix Suns injury Report
Mark Williams – OUT (foot)
Dillon Brooks – OUT (hand)
Jordan Goodwin – OUT (calf)
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