Tip-off: Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago -2.5, Total: 217

Injuries have plagued the Bulls’ ongoing Western Conference road trip.

Wednesday night was a bad time for the Chicago Bulls to be banged up, as they fell 123-92 to the league’s best team, the Golden State Warriors, without their best players on the floor (GSW -19). Both SF Jimmy Butler and SG Dwyane Wade sat with what appear to be minor ailments, and the Bulls fell to 26-27 on the year (26-27 ATS). They’re seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, 3.5 games behind the sixth-place Pacers and one game up on the eighth-place Pistons. The Bulls play the fifth game in a six-game road trip on Friday night in Phoenix, and they’ll face a Suns team that is on a three-game losing streak. Phoenix is 16-37 (26-25-2 ATS) after losing 110-91 in Memphis on Wednesday night (MEM -7.5). Only the Brooklyn Nets have a worse record than Phoenix, and the Suns are 7.5 games out of the bottom of the West playoff picture. Over the last five seasons, teams shooting between 43.5 and 45.5%, but coming off a game where they shot no better than 35% from the field (PHX) are 9-31 ATS against teams allowing a shooting percentage between 45.5 and 47.5%. Over the same timeframe, home teams that have been beaten against the spread by at least 36 total points in their last five games (PHX) are 73-122 ATS in games played in the second half of the season. Butler is questionable (but optimistic, reportedly) to play Friday night after missing three games with a heel injury. Wade appears to be doubtful with an upper respiratory infection. PG Isaiah Canaan and SF Paul Zipser are also questionable for Chicago. The Suns recently lost rookie PF Dragan Bender for the season with an ankle injury.

The Bulls defense ranks in the top third of the league, as it is 10th with an efficiency rating of 107.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. The offense is not as strong, ranking 18th with an efficiency rating of 107.5 points scored per 100 possessions. The Bulls play the seventh-slowest pace in the league at 94.9 possessions per 48 minutes. Before missing the Warriors game, Wade (19.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.6 SPG) had a brilliant 31-point performance in a win over the Kings on Monday. He’s been doing it all recently, averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his last five games. Butler (24.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.8 SPG) was playing well before hurting his foot, scoring 28 points in back-to-back wins against Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. In his two games before that, he scored 40 against Atlanta and three against Miami. His tough night against the Heat notwithstanding, he has been a very consistent scorer this year. The team’s starting PF/C duo of Taj Gibson (11.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and Robin Lopez (9.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG) has seen each of its members start over 50 games this year, more games than anyone else on the team has played in. They were arguably the sole bright spots against the Warriors, combining for 32 points and 19 rebounds. A weird point guard situation has alternated between featuring Michael Carter-Williams (8.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG), Rajon Rondo (6.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.4 SPG) and Jerian Grant (5.7 PPG) throughout the season. Over the last two weeks, each is playing between 22 and 24 minutes per game. SF Doug McDermott (9.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and PF Nikola Mirotic (9.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) ostensibly stretch the floor.

Only two teams in the NBA are worse defensively than the Suns, as they allow 112.4 points per 100 possessions. On offense, they aren’t much better: tied for 24th in the league with an OEFF of 106.1 points per 100 possessions. They play the third-fastest pace in the league at 99.2 possessions per 48 minutes. Despite the fact that they’re currently dismal at basketball, several media outlets have run long features on Suns players in recent weeks. Their best player currently is easily PG Eric Bledsoe (21.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.4 SPG), but he has largely gone under the radar despite that fact. His 21.1 player efficiency rating is easily the best on the roster, and his size allows him to be an effective defender and rebounder at the point guard position. He’s been shooting poorly in recent games, however, posting just a 27.7 FG% over his last four. He had only 16 points on 3-of-15 shooting against Memphis. He is only 27 years old, but many believe that is too old to fit into Phoenix’s “timeline,” which involves very young players and presumed future draft picks. One of those currently on the team is PG Devin Booker (21.1 PPG, 3.2 APG), who remains very much a work in progress despite his high scoring average. Two others are Bender (3.2 PPG) and PF Marquese Chriss (7.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG). Of the three, Booker is the only one to have celebrated his 20th birthday. C Tyson Chandler (8.6 PPG, 11.7 RPG), SF Jared Dudley (7.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and SF P.J. Tucker (7.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG) are veterans on a younger roster, while SF T.J. Warren (13.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.2 SPG) and C Alex Len (7.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG) are part of the youth movement. PG Brandon Knight (11.3 PPG) is a shell of his former self.