2026-10-07 · 7:00 PM CT · Preseason
Phoenix Suns45-37
Chicago Bulls31-51ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
Phoenix Suns2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 112.6 | 26 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 43.1 | 20 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 24.6 | 27 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 13.5 | 12 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 9.5 | 4 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 4.2 | 25 / 30 |
| FG% | 45.5% | 28 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 36.1% | 12 / 30 |
| FT% | 78.1% | 15 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 53.7% | 19 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.0% | 13 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.225 | 28 / 30 |
Chicago Bulls2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 116.3 | 12 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 45.0 | 9 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 28.5 | 7 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.6 | 24 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 7.6 | 23 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.0 | 11 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.9% | 14 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 35.6% | 19 / 30 |
| FT% | 77.6% | 18 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 54.7% | 14 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.7% | 23 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.246 | 22 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
This is preseason. Use the team numbers as background and watch how the new lineups play together. No spread or Lab win probability is published for this game.
Last season 45-37 | 7th in the West | First-round loss to Oklahoma City, 4-0
2025-26 efficiency 114.2 offense | 112.9 defense | +1.4 net per 100 possessions
Phoenix finished seventh with 45 wins and reached the playoffs through the Play-In before Oklahoma City swept it. Jordan Ott's first season produced a ninth-ranked defense after the prior year's collapse. The Suns also created extra shot opportunities through offensive rebounding and forced turnovers. That explains why a merely average offensive efficiency profile still supported a winning record.
Brian Gregory traded Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Miles Bridges and added Luke Kennard. Bridges brings another scoring forward, and Kennard replaces part of the departing shooting. Phoenix retained Collin Gillespie and other useful contributors around Devin Booker. Gillespie's continued production matters more now that Allen and O'Neale's spacing is gone.
The largest immediate concern is at center. Mark Williams' shoulder surgery leaves a substantial absence with no official return timetable, putting more responsibility on Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro. Adding Bridges does not replace a starting center or guarantee that the defensive gains survive. Management has changed the offensive mix, but the remaining roster still needs stronger finishing and enough size to keep its possession advantage against good teams.
Projected finish is eighth in the West. Booker and Ott give Phoenix a credible floor, but a repeat of 45 wins requires the young centers to contribute sooner. We expect a Play-In team rather than a dramatic rise. The important evidence will be whether the Suns keep generating extra chances while improving the value of the first shot.
Last season 31-51 | 12th in the East | Missed postseason
2025-26 efficiency 112.1 offense | 117.4 defense | -5.3 net per 100 possessions
Chicago finished 12th at 31-51 and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Its minus-5.3 net rating reflected a roster short of both efficiency and extra possessions. The Bulls averaged 3.6 fewer shot opportunities than opponents, with weak offensive rebounding and limited ability to force turnovers making the scoring assignment harder.
Bryson Graham took over the front office and hired Tiago Splitter. Caleb Wilson, the fourth pick, joins Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey as the young foundation. Nic Claxton gives Chicago a more credible interior defender, and Norman Powell supplies experienced scoring. The late acquisition of Buddy Hield adds shooting after Rob Dillingham moved out.
The unfinished issue is producing enough advantages around those players. Claxton can improve the defense without fixing loose possessions or creating perimeter pressure on his own. Powell can score without guaranteeing the young players get better attempts. Graham has made the rebuild more legible, but the roster still needs a sustainable shot-creation structure and a better way to win the possession count. Wilson's development should be supported by that structure rather than treated as its substitute.
Projected finish is 13th in the East. The added size and a clearer development plan should make Chicago more functional, but we do not see enough two-way improvement for a Play-In forecast. The important progress would be better chances for Wilson and Buzelis, fewer wasted possessions and evidence that the defense can hold together with the main offensive players on the court.
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
