The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to four games last Wednesday by defeating the Phoenix Suns 103-97, playing without franchise star and former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Derrick Rose who was suffering from an ankle sprain.
In a report by ESPN, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said before the road game versus Phoenix that they did tests on Rose when they got back to the hotel but the ankle was really sore.
Because of the ankle woe, Hoiberg added that they made the decision to rest Rose in the game against the Suns and re-evaluate him the day after.
Despite Rose not playing, the Bulls won and were led by guard Jimmy Butler who had 32 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Veteran big man Pau Gasol also had a standout performance tallying 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block.
Another veteran in guard Kirk Hinrich, who replaced Rose in the starting unit, also shone and contributed a season-high 14 points and six assists to help Chicago.
"He does such a great job of getting us into our offense and getting our defense organized," Hoiberg stated about Hinrich's efforts against the Suns, according to the Associated Press.
The win improved the Bulls' record to 8–3 for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking the top spot with a 9–3 record.
Chicago will continue a four-game road trip this Friday playing the second game against the defending champions the Golden State Warriors.
Meanwhile, the Suns were led by point guard Brandon Knight who had 23 points, and was helped by fellow playmaker Eric Bledsoe and forward P.J. Tucker who scored 21 and 20 points, respectively.
The loss landed the Suns on sixth place in the Western Conference standings with a 6–5 record. They team will take on the Denver Nuggets today, Friday.
