Following a 2006-capping win over the Cavs, who had beaten Scott Skiles' team in five straight, the Bulls look to improve upon another number tonight: their paltry record against Western Conference squads.

The Bulls are coming off their best month (14-3) in 10 years, but many of the games came against Eastern Conference also-rans. Versus the West, the Bulls have won just three of 11 games this season.

Despite the momentum of a memorable December, getting a fourth in 12 won't be easy, not with the schedule reading "PHX" tonight (7:30 p.m. | Comcast SportsNet | 105.9 FM).

At 21-8, the Suns own the NBA's third-best record and lead the league in scoring with 111.1 points per game.

(Side note: I encourage everyone to keep a running tally of how many times a Bulls radio or television broadcaster throws out a 'You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them' in reference to the Phoenix offense. That bit of journalistic genius figures to get a painful amount of play this evening.)

The Suns are coming off a 13-2 month of their own and sport an 11-1 mark against the East. Oh yeah, they also have a two-time defending MVP named Nash.

No, it won't be easy at all.

But that's OK. In December the Bulls shot up the Eastern Conference standings on the strength of a weak schedule. That's not to say the Bulls (19-12) didn't beat some good teams or play some good basketball. They did. Good enough, in fact, to pull into a virtual tie for first place with Detroit (18-11), not only in the Central Division, but the entire Eastern Conference.

Still, a good, stiff challenge should do the Bulls some good. Question is, are they up to it with the run-gun-and-stun Suns in town?

The Chicago attack isn't in Phoenix's class (who's is?), but at 100.8 points a game, good for eighth-best in the NBA, the Bulls are scoring at a pace not seen around these parts since the title days. Not surprisingly, the over/under for tonight's game is way up there at 213. Fireworks are certainly in the forecast.

Scott Skiles will be forced to juggle his lineup tonight for a second straight game with Kirk Hinrich out again (strained left groin). Thabo Sefolosha looks to get his second career start in Hinrich's place.

Sefolosha's first start didn't go well. The rookie went scoreless in 12 minutes after picking up two early fouls against the Cavs Saturday night. Sefolosha's replacement, Ben Gordon, had 21 points and seven assists, but still figures to play in a reserve role tonight.

Luol Deng led the Bulls Saturday with a career-high 32 points on 15-of-19 shooting.