Bulls Edge Suns in Preseason Shootout as DarkHorse Under Crashes

The Bulls took down the Suns 124-117 in a preseason thriller that obliterated expectations—and DarkHorse's under 228.5. The final tally of 241 combined points wasn't just a miss; it was a bonfire of our evaluation-focused, rotation-heavy thesis.

So what happened? Turns out both squads decided exhibition basketball was overrated and played like it was April. The Suns got exactly what we expected from Devin Booker and company in limited minutes, but Chicago's offense—projected as inefficient based on last season's 111.3 rating—caught fire and refused to cooperate with the script. Instead of camp bodies clanking threes and grinding through experimental sets, we got crisp execution and transition buckets that pushed the pace well beyond preseason norms.

The 228.5 total was supposedly priced for regular-season intensity, but this one played faster and looser than anticipated. Whether it was competitive juices flowing early or both benches actually showing up, the result was the same: our under got torched by 12.5 points. Credit where it's due—Chicago's offense looked far sharper than their metrics suggested, and Phoenix matched the energy. Sometimes the preseason script gets shredded. Tonight was one of those nights.