AP

Suns rout Bulls, move closer to wrapping up top spot in NBA

Mar 18, 2022, 9:35 AM | Updated: 10:48 pm

Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee dives for the ball during the second half of the team's NBA basket...

Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee dives for the ball during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. Phoenix won 129-102. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)


              Chicago Bulls center Tristan Thompson drives on Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) drives on Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Phoenix Suns guard Landry Shamet (14) reacts after scoring, next to Chicago Bulls forward Javonte Green (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Phoenix Suns guard Landry Shamet (14) drives past Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) and center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. Phoenix won 129-102. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, top, drives on Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Chicago Bulls center Tristan Thompson drives past Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) shoots over Chicago Bulls center Tristan Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. Phoenix won 129-102. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
            
              Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee dives for the ball during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Friday, March 18, 2022, in Phoenix. Phoenix won 129-102. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

PHOENIX (AP) — As if the Phoenix Suns aren’t strong enough already, Deandre Ayton is adding some dimensions to his game.

“He is aggressive in the post. I didn’t see a ton of finesse,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after Ayton scored 20 points in the Suns’ 129-102 rout of the Chicago Bulls Friday night to move closer to clinching the NBA’s best regular-season record this season.

“I saw, ‘I am getting to my spot and if you are not going to give me any resistance, I may go through you.'”

Ayton was 8 of 11 from the field, continuing to make mid-range jumpers while also getting inside for easier shots. He also led the Suns with 12 rebounds.

At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points. The Suns rolled despite being without two starters — point guard Chris Paul and forward Jae Crowder — and sixth man Cam Johnson, all out with injuries.

“We don’t want to be ‘Chris and Book’ dimensional,” Williams said. “We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.”

They certainly weren’t Friday. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.

The Suns are 9-4 without Paul, out since the All-Star break with a fractured right thumb.

Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.

“To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,” Craig said.

For the Bulls, it was more of the same. They lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game on Monday, the Bulls play five straight on the road.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we’ve played against, but we’ve got to be able to have a better response when shots aren’t going in,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. “I thought some of the (Suns’) offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it’s not going well.”

DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season.

“We’re at that time of the year where nothing is a secret,” he said. “We’ve played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we’ll be fine.”

The teams met on Feb. 7 in Chicago, with Booker scoring 38 points in a 127-124 Suns victory.

“That is a really good team over there and we played really well,” Booker said. “We enjoy that matchup.”

NUMBERS

The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.

IRISH PRIDE

Williams was busy preparing for his team’s game, but he was able to keep track of Notre Dame’s upset victory over Alabama in the NCAA tournament earlier Friday.

“I saw a little before I left, and then I got a text telling me that they won,” the former Irish forward said before the game. Williams played at Notre Dame from 1989-94. “Coach (Mike) Brey has just changed our program. I hope he’s there for another 20 years.”

“It’s a big win for us because it’s hard to get those elite players to come to Notre Dame, because of other stuff. For him to do it in a year where this is not one of the years they’ve been really really good is great.”

INJURY UPDATE

Bulls: PF Patrick Williams could return to the Bulls next week, Donovan said. Williams has missed 65 games with a wrist injury that required surgery.

Williams is likely to play Sunday for the Bulls’ Windy City G-League team before he returns to the NBA.

Donovan also said the status of G Lonzo Ball (right knee) has not changed. Ball, out since Jan. 28, is in the middle of the original prognosis of six to eight weeks, but he has not been able to resume activities. Donovan said there is a chance he will not return before the regular season ends in three weeks.

Suns: Crowder (left groin soreness) is being brought along slowly. He also missed sat out Wednesday night at Houston. Johnson (right quad) has missed eight games.

NEXT

Bulls: Host Toronto on Monday night.

Suns: At Sacramento on Sunday.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Suns rout Bulls, move closer to wrapping up top spot in NBA