Bulls Beat Suns 124 to 117 as Bridges Suffers Ankle Injury

The Chicago Bulls opened their 2026 NBA preseason with a 124-117 victory over the Phoenix Suns at United Center on October 7, overcoming a first-quarter deficit through contributions from their younger players. Phoenix remained winless at 0-2, while a right ankle injury sidelined forward Miles Bridges early in the second quarter and raised concerns about the team's frontcourt depth.

Dillon Brooks led Phoenix with 24 points, while Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie scored 12 apiece. Devin Booker added 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, including an 0-for-8 performance from three-point range, according to azcentral.com.

Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson scored a team-high 15 points in his NBA preseason debut. The fourth overall pick in June's draft made 6 of 15 field-goal attempts, missed all four three-point attempts, and recorded three rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 29 minutes, according to The Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe, cited by Hoops Rumors.

Phoenix's second unit briefly changed the game's momentum, turning a 24-24 tie into a 40-29 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach helped fuel the run with defensive pressure, blocked shots and energy.

However, the Suns continued to struggle with defensive rebounding, an issue that also affected them last season. Chicago's Tobe Awaka collected six offensive rebounds, while starting center Jalen Smith grabbed five offensive boards, exposing a weakness Phoenix must address to improve its transition game.

Wilson welcomed the opportunity to face veteran Suns forward Dillon Brooks, who challenged him throughout the contest. The rookie acknowledged that the matchup exposed areas requiring improvement.

"It was fun, honestly. I made some mistakes but I expected to make them. But that was fun, I ain't gonna lie.

For that to be my first NBA opponent, it was cool." Wilson said.

Wilson also described what he took away from the experience, particularly the need to remain engaged when he did not have possession.

"I learned a lot, learned how to be more active and ready off the ball. … You can learn a lot from that and I'll watch the film and get better." Wilson said.

Chicago also received a strong performance from Awaka, an undrafted rookie playing on a two-way contract. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes, providing a significant presence on the offensive glass while Nic Claxton and Zach Collins were unavailable with injuries.

Head coach Tiago Splitter praised Awaka's rebounding approach after the game.

"It's a combination of strength and will and power. That guy is going to get every rebound." Splitter said.

Chicago's backcourt depth also came under examination because backup point guard Tre Jones was sidelined with a hip injury. His absence created additional ball-handling opportunities for 15th overall draft pick Dailyn Swain, who recovered from early turnovers to finish with 10 points and six assists without missing a shot in 22 minutes.

Swain explained how he adjusted to the defensive pressure and became more decisive with the ball.

"I just had to stop playing with the ball in the backcourt, just make one move and go. I didn't want to break up the play at first, but if I have the advantage, then I just got to take it." Swain said.

Claxton's hamstring injury and Collins' quadriceps problem also affected Chicago's frontcourt rotation. Splitter remained optimistic about Claxton's eventual contribution, highlighting the center's mobility and rim protection as valuable qualities for the team.

"I think he's a great fit. I think he can run the court, I think he can protect the rim. His production wasn't as good as maybe two, three years ago last year.

We believe there is a reason behind it, and we just want to have the best Nic we can have." Splitter said.

Phoenix coach Jordan Ott planned to extend his starters' playing time further into the preseason after resting them throughout the second half against Chicago. The Suns were scheduled to host the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs on October 10, while Chicago's preseason schedule included games against Memphis and Denver.