Now their young big men get to see if any of that progress carries over against a tough opponent. They'll face Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire on Saturday in Phoenix, followed by a date in Houston and Yao Ming next Tuesday

"I see it on a daily basis and I think they are (improving)," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We'll see. They've had positive impacts on these last couple of games. When they play well, obviously our chances for success go up."

The Bulls handled Phoenix 100-83 back on Nov. 7 at the United Center. That was their largest margin of victory this season until beating the Clippers and Kings by 20 or more this week.

O'Neal didn't play in the first meeting because it was the first of back-to-back games and Suns coach Terry Porter decided to use his big man the following night in Milwaukee. Saturday's game is not part of a Phoenix back-to-back, so O'Neal figures to be on the court.

BULLS 109, KINGS 88: With an opportunity to win their second straight game on the road, the Bulls didn't let up against struggling Sacramento, posting a decisive 109-88 victory on Friday. The Bulls snapped a nine-game losing streak at Arco Arena, dating back to Nov. 23, 1997. The Kings lost their eighth straight. The visitors got off to a fast start, sprinting to a 21-point lead midway through the second quarter. Sacramento got as close as eight in the third quarter, but the Bulls pulled away and were never seriously threatened. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng led the Bulls with 20 points each, while center Joakim Noah had 17 points and three blocks.