Phoenix Suns Vs. Chicago Bulls Preview: Lineups, TV Schedule And More

The Phoenix Suns are looking to build off a 10-point victory over the Denver Nuggets Monday night, as they host the 4-3 Chicago Bulls tonight. Chicago fell to Boston 101-95 on Monday night and begin a five game road trip in Phoenix.

The Bulls may be without point guard Kirk Hinrich, who is nursing a hip injury. The Bulls are without Derrick Rose for most of the season, after he tore his ACL last April.

Game Time: 7 PM

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Arizona/ Arizona Sports 620

Projected Starting Lineups:

PG - Goran Drajic vs. Kirk Hinrich

SG - Jared Dudley vs. Richard Hamilton

SF - Michael Beasley vs. Luol Deng

PF - Luis Scola vs. Carlos Boozer

C - Marcin Gortat vs. Joakim Noah

Key Matchup

Luol Deng vs. Michael Beasley: Without Rose in the lineup, Deng has become Chicago's chief scoring option. Deng had 26 points in his last outing against Boston and is averaging 18.9 points per game. Beasley has been solid on both ends of the floor for Phoenix this season, but he faces a big challenge in Deng. The Chicago small forward is shooting 49% from the field and it will be important for Beasley to contest Deng and pressure him when he gets the ball.

Key Stat

24.0: This is the number of assists that the Bulls average per game, good for 5th in the NBA. Even without Derrick Rose, the Bulls still pass the ball around the court and are one of the most unselfish teams in the NBA.

What to Watch For:

Frontcourt Battle: Chicago has a dominant front court with Noah, Boozer and Taj Gibson. The Suns front court has shown promise this season and Marcin Gortat has played outstanding so far in the young season. The Bulls will challenge him both and Luis Scola all night.

The Bench: The Suns bench has been outstanding these past few games, scoring 34 points against Denver, and 23 points against Utah in a losing effort. Shannon Brown is averaging 14.4 PPG this season as the team's sixth man. The bench, especially Markeiff Morris, will be crucial in the team's success tonight.

For full Suns coverage head over to Bright Side of the Sun