Chicago 113, Phoenix 99

Toni Kukoc tosses the alley-oop to Scottie Pippen.
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Dennis Rodman says owner Jerry Colangelo has ruined the Suns. (Courtesy KSAZ)
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Game flow

PHOENIX -- Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen scored 37 points apiece and combined to score the team's first 25 points Wednesday as the Chicago Bulls remained unbeaten by breezing to a 113-99 victory over the winless Phoenix Suns.

Pippen played 36 minutes and made 15 of 23 field-goal attempts, and Jordan was 16 for 29 from the floor in 35 minutes. Pippen added eight rebounds and seven assists for Chicago, which was playing the first game of its seven-game road trip.

"We took what they gave us," Jordan said. "Scottie got out of the block quickly and the took some of the pressure off me.

Dennis Rodman grabbed 16 rebounds, Toni Kukoc scored 13 points and Steve Kerr added 11 for Chicago, which extended the best start in franchise history to 11-0.

"We felt this team would play really hard because they were up against a wall, having not won a game," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said of the Suns. "We felt we were riding the confidence level too highly. It was the kind of game we needed: a good running game to start off the road trip."

Michael Finley scored 17 points, Danny Manning added 16 and Sam Cassell had 13 for the Suns. Phoenix is off to its worst start in franchise history at 0-10, eclipsing its previous mark set at the start of the 1985-86 season. The Suns have yet to score 100 points in any game this season.

Phoenix has tried to install the triangle offense this season. It is a creation of Bulls assistant coach Tex Winter.

"The triangle offense is not something you can pick up in a couple of weeks," Jordan said. "It took us five or six years to understand all the portions and we got the guy, mastermind Tex Winter."

New Suns coach Danny Ainge, who took over for Cotton Fitzsimmons, is just realizing what he is in for.

"Where's Cotton? I want to kill that guy," Ainge joked.

Cassell wasn't in a joking mood. "I'm going crazy," he said. "I've got to get a win. We've got to get a win as a team."