Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) goes up for the throw down over the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (10) in the second half at Golden 1 Center Sacramento on Wed Mar 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off a brief road trip that saw them make stops in Denver and Minnesota. The Kings were blown out in Denver but were able to pull out the victory in Minnesota against the Timberwolves 124-120.

The Kings were looking to stay on track against a hobbled Chicago team. Zach Levine and Lonzo Ball were among the Bulls who were inactive. Ball has missed significant time and will continue to do so due to his lower body injuries. On Monday, the Kings were set to take on the Bulls at 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Bulls defeated the Kings 113-109 on Monday night. 

The Kings came out lethargic in the first quarter to start the game. The Kings couldn’t buy a basket early and didn’t appear to have much energy from the jump. However, they managed to keep pace with the Bulls early on. The Kings offense took off after about the halfway mark of the quarter. The Kings would outscore the Bulls in the first quarter 36-22 to take the big lead early. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers in the first quarter with nine points. 

In the second quarter, the Kings offense cooled significantly. The Kings were outscored by the Bulls 27-20 in the second quarter. The Kings were careless with the ball in the quarter, and their shots stopped falling. The Kings turned the ball over six times in the quarter and nine in the half, which didn’t help their cause.

The Kings would look to turn the tide back in their favor in the third. The Kings leading scorer at halftime was Fox, who scored 13 points. Ayo Dosunmu led the way for the Bulls in the first half with 15 points. 

In the third quarter, the Kings offense erupted. The Kings outscored the Bulls in the third quarter 35-28 as they built on their lead in the first half. The Kings offense was flowing, and the Bulls were struggling to make shots. Domantas Sabonis led the charge for the Kings as he scored 12 points in the third quarter. The Kings would lead the Bulls 91-77 after three quarters of play. 

In the final quarter, the Kings let the big lead slip away as they looked to secure the win. The Kings opened the quarter, leading the Bulls by 14 points. By the time the game arrived near the four-minute mark, the Kings only led by four points at 104-100.

The Kings were fighting for dear life down the stretch. However, with 36 seconds left in the game, Coby White would hit a floater to put the Bulls up 111-109. DeMar DeRozan would hit two big free throws with 3.5 seconds left to extend the lead to 113-109.

That’s where the game would end. The Kings would lose 113-109. It was a huge 14-point fourth-quarter upset from the Bulls, who were shorthanded. The Kings were led in the game by Fox, who scored 20 points. Coby White led the Bulls, scoring 37 points. 

Up Next: The Kings head on the road to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.