Suns Stoudemire Sends Bulls To Slaughter House Win 88-77

A NBA team that shoots 34.7% from the floor for the game would have trouble beating any opponent. When the team?on the other side of the hardwood is the Phoenix Suns your?odds of winning slip down close to zero. Needless to say the struggling Chicago Bulls were?ripe for the picking Sunday afternoon as Phoenix? came into the Windy City? and beat up on the Bulls 88-77. Kirk?Hinrich scored a?game high 31 points?for Chicago but it was not nearly enough to make the Bulls even competitive. Amare Stoudemire led the way for the Suns with 24 points.

To say that the Chicago Bulls are having a disappointing campaign this season would be like saying that Britney Spears behavior during 2007, was a tad eccentric. A vast understatement. After looking like they were on the precipice of being serious contenders in the East last season, they are now 17-26 mired in fourth place in the NBA Central Division, 13.5 games behind division leading Detroit and just a half game ahead of last place Milwaukee. Their head coach Scott Skiles, who many NBA observers were hailing as a young up and comer last year was fired. Interim coach?Jim Boyland after an initial run of success his first few games is doing not any better. Luol Deng and Ben? Gordon are both deactivated because of injuries. Chris Duhon just came back from being injured, Ben Wallace looks?to be a shadow of his? former self. In fact one of the few pleasant surprises has been the play of veteran big man Joe Smith, and he had a bad game on Sunday.?

Chicago actually remained?close for the first three quarters, but never really looked like they would threaten?to overtake the Suns. Phoenix led 20-15 after the first quarter, and had a 46-42 advantage as the two teams went to their locker rooms at the half. The two teams played the third quarter to a draw, as? the Suns led 68-64 going into the final quarter. But Phoenix increased their intensity level in the final quarter to walk away with the win.

Stoudemire shot 9-16 from the floor, 6-7 from the line for his 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks. Shawn Marion recorded a double-double 15 points, 11?boards, 6 steals, 2 assists, 1 block, Steve Nash scored 14 points,?7 assists, 2 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa scored 13 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, Boris Diaw scored 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.

Hinrich shot 12-23 from the floor 7-8 from the line for his game high 31 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. Thabo?Sefolosha scored 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, Tyrus Thomas recorded a double-double? scoring 10 points off the bench,? 11 boards, 2 blocks, 2 steals. Phoenix now is 32-13, the Bulls 17–26.