Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com)  - Joakim Noah scored 14 points to go with 16 
rebounds  and  six assists as  the shorthanded Chicago Bulls took a 92-87 win 
over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. 

The Bulls,  who were  without the  services of  starting power forward Carlos 
Boozer  (sore right  knee), dealt two-time All-Star Luol Deng to the Cleveland 
Cavaliers early Tuesday morning. 

The Bulls received  Andrew Bynum, who was promptly waived, along with a first 
round  pick and a pair of second rounders for the third-longest tenured player 
in franchise history. 

Taj  Gibson scored a  team-high 19 points and pulled down 10 boards filling in 
for  Boozer. Jimmy  Butler  and D.J.  Augustin added  13  points apiece,  with 
Augustin  also  dishing  out  nine  assists  for  Chicago,  winners  in  three 
straight. 

"We have a long way to go, but every time they've been challenged they've 
always responded. This is another challenge for them, for us. I think they did 
a great job getting ready to play today," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said on 
the loss Deng. 

Goran  Dragic  scored a  game-high 21 points  and Gerald Green  added 15 on 3- 
for-10  shooting from  3-pount range. Channing Frye and Miles Plumlee added 11 
points  and seven rebounds  apiece for the Suns, who have dropped two of their 
last three. 

"They run a unique offense, they know us so well and they know where guys are 
going to shoot from. It was an advantage. It was different for us. I was kind 
of guessing a bit," Plumlee said. 

Nazr Mohammed's tip-in gave the Bulls a 27-25 lead after the first 12 minutes. 

Chicago's  lead swelled  to 38-30 following a  pair of Noah Free throws, but a 
16-4  run from  the Suns, capped by  a Gerald Green jumper, made it 46-42 with 
2:20 remaining in the first half. 

The Bulls  scored the final seven  points of the  period to take a 49-46 edge 
into the break, ending with a Kirk Hinrich triple. 

Chicago's  lead  reached as  high as  nine points  late in  the third, but Ish 
Smith's jumper with 9.5 ticks left made it 70-63 entering the final frame. 

Snell  hit back-to-back 3's early in the fourth quarter and a Noah jumper made 
it  78-65 with just  over 10 minutes remaining. The Suns countered with a 15-6 
burst to make it 84-80 with just under four minutes left, but Phoenix couldn't 
get closer the rest of the way. 

                                   Game Notes 

The Bulls improved  to 10-7  at  United Center  ... Only  Michael Jordan  (12 
seasons)  and  Scottie Pippen (11  seasons) spent more  time in the Windy City 
than Deng ... The Suns were averaging 107 points per game entering the contest 
... The Suns fell to 3-10 when scoring less than 100 points this season.