Tag: Chicago Bulls

Kings complete 21-point comeback to beat Bulls 104-98

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO–The boo birds were out early, but by the time the clock read 0:00, it was bedlam at Golden 1 Center on Monday night. The Sacramento Kings trailed by as much as 21 points in a game, but they ended up winning, 104-98, over the Chicago Bulls.

After De’Aaron Fox went down early in the third quarter, somebody needed to step up big for Sacramento, and that player was JaKarr Sampson. Sampson brought major energy off the bench, including an emphatic dunk and a clutch 3-pointer. He ended his night with nine points, six rebounds, and one block.

In the first quarter, Sacramento shot 4-for-20 from the field, scored nine points, trailed by as much as 19. Little to say, it seemed like it was going to be another long night for the purple and black faithful.

Things started to shift midway into the second quarter following Robin Lopez’s words with official Justin Van Duyne just moments after Lopez was ejected. As a result, Lopez had to watch the rest of the game from the locker room.

The Kings continued to trail 55-41 at the end of the first half.

Kings coach Dave Joerger had something good to say at halftime because the Kings had overcome a 21-point deficit and took the lead, 96-93, after a Buddy Hield’s significant 3-pointer with 1:33 left to go in the game.

The Bulls quickly responded as Bobby Portis hit a 3-pointer of his own. With under a minute to go, and a tie ball game, Bogdan Bogdanovic threw up a step-back 3-pointer over two defenders that found the bottom of the net.

The Bulls had two decent looks to tie the game, but were unable to capitalize. The Golden 1 Center was in uproar as the Kings seized their 17th win of the season.

Sacramento has now broke the hearts of Bulls fans twice this year, as they sweep the season series 2-0. The Kings will have three full days off before they have to see Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night in Sacramento. After that, it does not get much easier as they travel to the Midwest to face a very good Minnesota Timberwolves team.

Sacramento Kings
Player of the Game: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan Bogdanovic lead all scorers for the Kings tonight with 15 points, but in a game Bogey struggled from the field, he was able to get himself to the free throw line six times.

With De’aaron Fox going down, Bogdanovic was put in a tough situation, and answered the bell by hitting what ended up being the biggest shot of the game. To go along with his 15 points, he added four assists and four rebounds.

Key Stats
Six players in double digits.

Sacramento’s Bench outscored the Bulls bench 55-22.

First time the Kings have swept the Bulls since the 06-07 season.

With the win, the Kings complete their largest comeback of the season (21).

After shooting 20% from the field in the first quarter, the Kings finished there night shooting at 44%.

Chicago Bulls
Player of the Game: Zach Lavine

Zach Lavine was playing in his 11th game of the season and the Bulls fans finally got what they had been waiting for, a poster, unfortunately JaKarr Sampson was the victim.

More importantly, Lavine set a new season high with 27 points and shot 4-for-8 from behind the arc.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg on Lavine’s night, “Zach’s getting a rhythm, he’s playing better, he’s getting more comfortable out there”. Lavine racked up two rebounds and two assists to go along with his 27 points

Key Stats
Shot 40% from the field, and 39% from 3-point land.

Bobby Portis finished his night with a double-double (18 points, 14 rebounds).

Bulls extend there losing streak to seven games.

Innocent Chairs that were thrown from anger by Robin Lopez: 1

Curry and Thompson carry Warriors past Bulls 119-112

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Photo credit: @nbastats

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors played the fourth game of their five-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Wednesday night.

Prior to the lopsided matchup, the Warriors walked into Chicago with a three-game win streak–all on the road; while the Bulls had a two-game win streak in their hands.

The Warriors were hit by some bad luck as Jordan Bell sprained his left ankle during the game and never returned, but that didn’t affect their performance against the Bulls.

JaVale McGee is not quite a dunk icon yet, but he made a dunk late in the first quarter. The Warriors’ defense struggled a bit, but their offense allowed them to trail the Bulls by just two (40-38) at the end of the first.

David West got the block on one end and the assist at the other end. Klay Thompson continued doing his thing, hitting three-pointers. Steph Curry also went left off the glass. The Warriors continued to trail the Bulls, 66-63, at halftime.

Here are the Warriors’ halftime stats:

The Warriors started the second half on the right foot. The Splash Brothers were a combined 12 of 19 from the three-point range in the third quarter. Golden State also went on a tremendous 19-0 run to end the third on a high note.

The Warriors led the Bulls 95-78 at the end of the third.

Thompson continued to do Thompson things in the fourth quarter. In addition, Patrick McCaw pulled up for a two-point field goal, giving the Warriors a large 112-99 lead with five minutes left in regulation.

The Warriors beat the Bulls 119-112. With the win, Golden State won their fourth straight overall game and 13th consecutive road game, tying the fifth longest winning streak in NBA history.

Here are the Warriors’ final stats:

https://twitter.com/warriors/status/953830840030474240

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Draymond Green (right shoulder soreness) and Andre Iguodala (left calf contusion) are out.

For the first time in franchise history, the Bulls have made 15+ three-pointers in three games in a row.

Up Next
The Warriors close out their road trip with a game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday at 7:30 pm CT.

Randolph shines, leading Kings to 107-106 victory over Bulls

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Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph (50) shoots between Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16) and center Robin Lopez (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

By: Peter Elliott

CHICAGO, IL. — It was the Zach Randolph show on Friday night at the United Center.

The 36-year-old veteran big man yet again proved his worth, leading the Sacramento Kings (7-15) to a 107-106 victory over the Chicago Bulls (3-18). Randolph earned his first double-double of the season, as he notched a season-high in points with 25 while grabbing 13 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

Although Randolph’s star shined the brightest, the Kings also received important contributions from role players like Bogdan Bogdanović, Garrett Temple, and Willie Cauley-Stein, who combined for 42 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Bogdanović, a first-year shooting guard from Serbia also achieved his season-high in points with 19 on 6-12 shooting from the field and six made free throws in 30 minutes, the most action he has seen so far this season.

Buddy Hield struggled once more in his seven minutes of playing time, as the second-year shooting guard failed to connect on his two shots and played lackluster defense, good for a plus-minus differential of -8.

Neither of the teams that took the floor at the United Center on Friday night appear poised to contend for the Larry O’Brien trophy this summer. However, both teams made it competitive throughout, with the biggest point margin being just seven points in the third quarter.

The Bulls, who are now losers of 13 of their last 14 games turned in a solid showing for a three-win team, but it was their bench that shined. Sacramento had trouble shutting down a seat-warming trio of Paul Zipser, Cristiano Felicio, and Jerian Grant, who combined for a whopping 55 points, four more than the starters’ total of 51.

What’s Next: The Kings will head north into Milwaukee on Saturday night, seeking revenge for 112-87 blowout loss at the hands of the Bucks just a mere four days ago. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 PT/7:30 CT p.m. on NBC Sports California.

Warriors rout Chicago Bulls 143-94 behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson

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Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell (2) is congratulated by center JaVale McGee (1) after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. The Warriors won 143-94. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland — The Warriors, still smarting from the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night, returned to form and dominated the Chicago Bulls, defeating them 143-94. The Warriors rested Draymond Green. Also, Kevin Durant’s ankle was still sore, so the Dubs felt he could use the night off.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr started Omri Casspi for Durant, and rookie Jordan Bell was given his first NBA start in place of Draymond. Bell played very well as he tallied nine points, four assists, six rebounds, and had six blocked shots.

The Bulls, the worst shooting team in the NBA, played a very competitive first quarter and led by three 32-29 at the end of the first 12 minutes. The Bulls shot 55% from the floor, and the Warriors shot 54%. Steph Curry scored just five points in the quarter, and it looked as if the Warriors were in for a tussle.

However, Curry scored 26 points in the second quarter and his backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, started making shots. The two of them reminded the fans that the Splash Brothers were still around, and when they get hot, no one stands a chance. The Warriors outscored the Bulls 45-21 and led 74-53 at the end of the first half. Curry had 31, and Thompson pitched in with 14. Jordan Bell contributed four. Bench players Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney each added five. The Warriors shot 60% from the floor and made six three-point shots.

The Warriors dominated the third period as they outscored the Bulls 36-13 and the game was over at this point. Thompson, Omri Casspi, Andre Iguodala, and Zaza Pachulia led the onslaught. The Dubs led by 44 points at the end of three quarters (110-66). Kerr sent in his bench for the fourth quarter, and they did not let up. Nick Young, Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney, Omri Casspi, and Patrick McCaw all played well. The Bulls did nothing and they fell to the Dubs 143-94.

Game notes and stats — Curry, who did not play at all in the fourth quarter, recorded 33 points, five assists, and seven rebounds. Thompson finished the night with 29. Pachulia tallied 11 points, six assists and five boards. Iguodala finished with ten, Looney, seven, David West six, Nick Young 17,  and Patrick McCaw nine.

The Warriors shot 58.2% from the floor and made 16 three-pointers. They Dubs recorded 37 assists, and that indicated they were moving the ball well. They excelled on defense, too. The Dubs out-rebounded the Bulls 49-40, and they had 11 steals and 11 blocked shots. The Dubs turned the ball over just 11 times. The Bulls’ leading scorer was Jeria Grant with 21. Lauri Markkanen added 14. Antonio Blakely had 11. Bobby Portis had 10.

The Warriors improved to 14-5 while the Bulls dropped to 3-14.

The Warriors meet the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night at Oracle Arena. The Pelicans are led by Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins. The Pelicans, coached by Alvin Gentry, are proving to be formidable as they have beaten the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Warriors buy the number 38 draft pick and select Jordan Bell from Oregon

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

gsw_primary-icon

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors entered the 2017 NBA Draft in the same condition they did in 2016. The Warriors had no selection available to them in either round.

So, the Dubs were merely spectators on Thursday night. But wait, there’s more.

Just as they had in 2016 the Warriors reached into their bank, grabbed some cash and declared they wanted to be players in this year’s draft.

GSW found a trading partner in the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had experienced a disaster on Thursday night that included trading Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves for what most experts believe was way under value. If the rumors are to be believed, Chicago had a much better offer from Boston before the start of the draft.

For some reason, the Bulls did not think they needed the number 38 pick (8th selection in the 2nd round), so they accepted $3.5-million from the Warriors in exchange for the pick. The $3.5-million figure is the maximum amount of money a team can accept for a second-round selection.

The Warriors found their man in Oregon

Oregon v Wisconsin

The Warriors selected 6-foot-9, Junior power forward/center Jordan Bell out the University of Oregon. Bell was definitely a value pick as a number of draft experts had predicted he would be selected late in the first round.

Bell is a defensive player first. He has a nose for the ball and is a strong rebounder. He is also a known as having good instincts as a shot blocker. Bell has the ability to protect the paint and is willing cover any assignment given to him on defense.

Bell is seen a strong player but if he going defend on the front line in “the association” he will need to add some weight.

As with many shot blockers, Bell has tendency to go for the block and end up out of position for the rebound. He will need work on that at the next level.

On offense

GSW Bell Dunk

Bell runs the floor well and finishes strong at the rim. He is a real threat to score near the basket. Bell also has the ability to score on offensive rebounds. He also moves well without the ball and sets a good screen.

Bell has worked hard and improved as a free throw shooter. He went from a 50-percent FT shooter to shooting 70.5-percent from the line in his junior season.

Bell averaged 10.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game in the 2016-17 season.

Bell will need to work on becoming a scoring threat outside the paint.

Is Bell the next McCaw

The Warriors are hoping that Bell will be this year’s version of Patrick McCaw whom they obtained the same way last season. With the expanded rosters, Bell will be able to spend time at Santa Cruz and in Oakland as he develops his talents.

NBA Last 2 Minute Report to Kings: Oops! Our bad!

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Dwyane Wade, DeMarcus Cousins
Wade blows slam dunk but gets the foul versus the Kings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Controversy reigned in the Kings 102-99 loss to the Bulls on Saturday night in Chicago. With 17.1-seconds left in the game, Dwyane Wade stripped Garrett Temple of the ball and broke for his basket. Wade was trailed by Kings defenders. The superstar guard blew his slam dunk opportunity which would have given his team the lead. As Wade came back down to the floor, he was brushed by the Kings DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins was called for a foul. Wade was awarded two free throws. He converted 1-of-2 free throws to give Chicago a 100-99 lead with 14-seconds to go in the game.

The Kings turned the ball over on their possession and the Bulls scored to put the game in the win column for Chicago.

On Sunday, the NBA released the Last Two Minute Officiating Report. At the 14-second mark the report reads:  Cousins (SAC) has his hand on Wade’s (CHI) back while he is airborne, but he does not extend his arm and push him and the contact does not affect the shot attempt. The report notes a foul was called. The conclusion of the review is listed as IC – incorrect.

No one who was watching the game and who then saw the replays has any disagreement with the report’s conclusion. The only problem with the report is there is no remedy for the Kings. The result is really a statement to the Kings by the NBA of – “Hey SAC, our bad!” When your team is 16-27 and has lost five games in a row, that does not mean anything to the team … really.

Update on Rudy Gay

gay-injured
Rudy Gay unable to walk after going down in the Pacers game

Rudy Gay will go under the knife in New York City on Monday, January 23 to have his ruptured left Achilles tendon repaired. The surgery will take place at the Hospital for Special Surgery and be performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley.

Gay suffered the season-ending injury in the third quarter of the game against Indiana on Wednesday in Sacramento.

Kings lose a heartbreaker in Chicago 102-99; SAC has now lost five in a row

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

bulls-boogie-victim
The victim of Cousins wrath after the loss in Chicago Photo: Sean Highkin TheAthleticChi

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls came into the game in Chicago on Saturday night looking to end losing streaks. The Kings had lost four games in a row and the Bulls had lost two consecutive games. Both teams had been beaten soundly on Friday night.

The Kings and Bulls played hard and gave their full 48-minute efforts in a game that ended with a controversial call – if you are a Sacramento fan. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bulls (22-23) had won the game 102-99 and ended their losing streak. The Kings (16-27) went to their locker room frustrated and the owners of a five-game losing streak – their longest of the season.

You call that a foul?

With 15-seconds on the clock and the game tied at 99-99, Dwyane Wade was able to steal the ball from the Kings Garrett Temple and start a fast break for the basket. Wade went up for an uncontested dunk and hit the back of the iron. DeMarcus Cousins was trailing Wade and may (emphasis on may) have brushed Wade on his way down after missing the dunk. The officials blew the whistle and called a foul on Cousins. Basically, the referees could not believe that superstar guard would miss the breakaway slam unless he was fouled.

Multiple video replays showed that there was no foul on the play but the play was not eligible for video review. The call stood. Wade made 1-of-2 free throws and the Bulls took a 100-99 lead.

bulls-wade
Dwyane Wade scored 30 points against the Kings Photo: NBAE

The final 14-seconds

The Kings began working a play following a timeout when Taj Gibson was able to reach in and steal the ball from Cousins. The Bulls were able to score when Michael Carter-Williams put the ball through the hoop on an Alley Oop layup with an assist from Wade that gave the Bulls a 102-99 lead.

Garrett Temple brought the ball into the frontcourt quickly for the Kings and put up a 41-foot desperation shot that banged off the rim as the buzzer sounded. The game ended with the Bulls winning 102-99.

DeMarcus Cousins was a one-man wrecking crew

Cousins scored a game-high 42 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to record his 23rd double-double game of the season. Cousins scored those 42 points on just 28 shots. He converted 8-of-9 free throws and hit 2-of-7 shots from 3-point range. He sank those 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions late in the fourth quarter to keep his team in the game. Cousins had three assists and two blocked shots while committing only two turnovers in the contest. The Kings big man was their only player to score in double figures in the game.

Sacramento Kings v Chicago Bulls
Cousins left it all on the court in Chicago Photo: NBAE

To no one’s surprise it was the Wade and Butler show for the Bulls

Dwyane Wade led the Bulls scoring attack with 30 points. Wade did not have a great night shooting as he went 9-for-20 from the field. He did go an impressive 12-for-15 from the free throw line. Wade also added four assists, four blocked shots and three steals in the game. The superstar guard sent out a tweet to Bulls fans apologizing for their poor play in Atlanta on Friday night. Wade has nothing to apologize for after the way he played against the Kings on Saturday night.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and dished out seven assists against the Kings. He spent most of the game acting as the playmaker. Butler shot 6-for-14 from the floor and was a perfect 10-for-10 from free throw line. Butler and Wade went a combined 22-for-25 from the charity stripe.

Coach Joerger’s postgame analysis

  • Good game
  • Really proud of our guys
  • Thought we played our tails off for 48-minutes
  • (team) made major progress
  • (We have to) keep working hard; we’re going to figure it out; work it out
  • DeMarcus had a heck of a game
  • (In this game) Too much Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler
  • On the foul call on Cousins as Wade missed the dunk: Live ball – three on one

Kings needed another double figured scorer

If one other Kings player had scored in double figures, the final outcome might have been different. Nine other players participated in the game besides Cousins but none scored in double figures. Afflalo posted nine points and Collison, Temple and Lawson each scored eight points. With Rudy Gay sidelined for the rest of the season, one of the Sacramento players has to step up and become a double-figure scorer. More 3-point production could help that situation.

Where’s Rondo?

Rajon Rondo’s time in the Windy City may be coming to a close. Rondo played just six-minutes against the Kings on Saturday distributing four assists and scoring no points. The point guard who was so productive in Sacramento is finding it rough sledding in Chicago. Do not be surprised if Rondo is wearing a different uniform by the trade deadline in February because his time with the Bulls seems to be over.

Up next on the schedule

The Kings travel to Detroit where they will play the Pistons on Monday night. The Kings last win came over Detroit in Sacramento. The Kings will be looking to pick up their first win on the eight-game road trip versus the Pistons.

The Bulls will return to action on Tuesday in Orlando against the Magic.

Kings fall short in loss to Bulls

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by Michael Martinez

Photo credit (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

SACRAMENTO- A Chicago Bulls team without All Star Jimmy Butler gives opponents a much better chance at winning, or at least competiting. Butler sat out Wednesday night’s ball game with left knee tendinitis. The Kings did do a good job of sticking around with the Bulls, but allowed E’Twaun Moore to tear up the defense as if he was Butler.

Sacramento once again allowed a player who never really impacts games to get a career high in points. The Kings had a lot of sloppy play and their defense was not consistently strong enough to ever allow them to over come the Bulls. Missed free throws cost the Kings as well especially when it counted. Even with another monster game from DeMarcus Cousins, who was honored as an All Star prior to the game, Sacramento could not overcome the Bulls. The Kings (21-27) lost to the Bulls (27-21), 107-102, in a tightly contested match up in Sacramento at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings lacked urgency to start the game. Sacramento looked slow and the Bulls took advantage, especially Moore. Moore scored ten of Chicago’s first 13 points causing Sacramento to take a timeout at the 7:02 mark. Moore would finish the quarter with 13 points, a point shy of his career high.

Marco Belinelli’s shot started to look better, scoring six points in the quarter, as he got another start. The Kings were able to hang around in the quarter in big part to DeMarcus Cousins, who scored eight points in a row later in the quarter causing the Bulls to call a timeout with Chicago up by eight. The Kings’ defense caused five turnovers, but could not find a way to stop the Bulls from scoring as Chicago shot 57.1% from the field. The Bulls did an excellent job behind the three-point line, going six for eight.

The Bulls took advantage of the Kings’ four turnovers with nine points off those turnovers. Allowing the Bulls to shoot at a high percentage had the Kings down, 35-24, after one quarter of play. For the fifth straight game, the Kings allowed their opponent to score 30 or more points in the first quarter.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Coach George Karl.  “I’ve never had this many games on your home court come out flat.”

Coming off of a sluggish first quarter, Darren Collison helped pick up the pace for Sacramento. Off the bench, Collison finished the half with 13 points, eight of those from the second quarter. The Kings’ defense did a better job against the Bulls’ offense and found some of their own as well.

With 4:35 left in the second quarter, Omri Casspi and Bobby Portis received a technical foul each after the pair were yapping at one another over a prior play.

Down by four, Sacramento looked to keep the game close but the Bulls went on a 6-0 run to go up by ten as Chicago continued their good ball movement with a little under three minutes to play in the half.

Belinelli scored six more points in the second quarter. Belinelli hit two three-pointers for a total of 12 points in the half. Belinelli’s threes helped keep the Kings within reach with one of those threes coming from a Cousins’ screen and put the score at 60-57. Belinelli’s three would be the last field goal of the half with the Bulls leading the Kings, 60-57 after one half of play.

Omri Casspi and Bobby Portis  received a double technical after the pair were yapping at one another over a prior play.

Moore eclipsed his prior career high of 14 points with 15 in the first half for a halftime high. Cousins scored 14 points for a team high. Chicago had ten second chance points in the first half, as they out rebounded the Kings, 26-18. Chicago crashed the boards much harder than the Kings, but with 28 points in the paint Sacramento kept it close.

The Kings started the third quarter off with a 5-0 run, giving them their first lead since early in the first quarter. But the Bulls followed it up with a 5-0 run of their own. The Kings got to 66 points, which was later changed to 64 as a Rudy Gay field goal was changed to a shot clock violation. After that point, Sacramento turned the ball over on five straight possessions, but luckily the Bulls did not do so well either. Throughout the quarter, Sacramento inched closer and closer, but the eight third quarter turnovers never gave them a chance to regain the lead.

Both teams did very little offensively, with Chicago scoring 20 and Sacramento scoring 18. The Kings did a much better job of rebounding the ball with four offensive boards and 14 total in the quarter. Gay scored six points on 3-6 shooting for a total of ten, looking much better in the third quarter after foul trouble in the first half.

Moore continued to play well out of the break with seven points in the third. Cousins also had a big quarter with eight points, as him and Moore tied for a game high with 22 points. After a lot of careless basketball, the Bulls still maintained their lead, 80-75 through three.

The fourth quarter came down to the wire although the Bulls started out the quarter on a 6-0 run. Again, the Kings were able to stay in the game and went up by as many as ten in the quarter. With a little over three and a half minutes to play, Chicago was up 99-90 over the Kings. But Belinelli’s improved shooting came in clutch for Sacramento as they got the lead down to four, 105-101, after he hit a three pointer while getting fouled.

Belinelli missed the free throw, but Cousins grabbed the board and was fouled. Cousins only made one free throw to cut Chicago’s lead to three with 45 seconds in the game. Sacramento kept getting stops and had possession down three with 17.9 seconds.

Out of a timeout, the Kings drew up a play to get Cousins the ball inside for a quick two, but Boogie could not convert on two separate tries. The Kings fouled Moore with 10.4 seconds left and the game seemed basically over. However, Moore missed both free throws and Sacramento got the rebound with nine seconds remaining. Cousins got fouled and missed the first free throw, letting out great frustration afterwards. Boogie missed the second shot on purpose and got called for a lane violation.

Pau Gasol, who finished with 16 points and 13 boards, made two free throws to close out the game and give the Bulls the victory, 107-102. Rudy Gay fouled out by fouling Gasol.

Derrick Rose had a solid fourth quarter with eight points, totaling 21 points and adding nine assists with six boards. Moore finished with a career high 24 points as he filled the shoes of Butler tonight.

Cousins added another double double on the season, 30 points and 11 rebounds, finishing with a game high. Cousins admitted to being banged up after a very physical game, but is still ready to go. Belinelli scored 18 points for Sacramento, 7-14 from the field.

Off the bench, Collison scored 19 points but did not see much playing time in the second half. Rajon Rondo added nine assists for the Kings, who continue to score well in the paint, but have lacked good starts in games.

The defense got better, but Chicago shot 52.4% from the behind the arc, which was a  big difference maker as well as their 19 fast break points. Both teams finished with 17 turnovers in a very sloppy game.

“Starts. Turnovers hurt us tonight, transition defense hurt us tonight,” Cousins said.

The Kings have now lost five of their last six games and are looking for answers with four games left before the All Star break.

“I would probably say our only pattern is our effort coming out early on in games. We’ve got to find a way to improve that,” Cousins said when asked about characteristics in their losses.

The Kings, now 21-28, will need to practice what they preach heading into the last four games to gain momentum as they near the break. On Friday, Sacramento will take on the Brooklyn Nets on the road as they look to get the roller coaster season back in their favor with some much needed road wins.

“We’ve got to get three, we have to,” Cousins said.

Trio Of Bulls Down The Struggling Kings

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By Shawn Whelchel

A trio of Bulls led the charge against Sacramento on Tuesday night, as Chicago steadily dispatched the stumbling Kings with a 104-86 trouncing at the United Center.

The Kings seemingly had no answer for Chicago’s Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose and Tony Snell, who combined for 73 of the Bulls’ 104 points on the night. Snell turned in a career night against the Kings, scoring 24 points on 9 of 11 shooting.

Sacramento’s efforts were derailed in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s contest after a 19-4 run in the beginning of the frame sunk any chance for the Kings to mount a comeback. The Kings did themselves no favor on the defensive side of the ball as well, as a lackluster effort allowed Chicago to shoot 52.5 percent from the field on the night, including 7-of-20 from beyond the arc.

The loss was yet another frustrating effort from Sacramento, who have now lost 12 of their last 14 games while earning an 18-33 record in the Pacific division.

But help might soon be on the way for the struggling Kings, as there are reports that George Karl may soon be at the helm of the team. The 63-year old veteran coach, who currently sits sixth in NBA history with 1,131 wins, can give the Kings some much needed guidance in order to turn the troubled club around.

In what may prove to be his final game as head coach, Tyrone Corbin and the Kings will limp into Milwaukee on Wednesday night to take on the Bucks before receiving a much needed break over All-Star weekend.

 

Bulls snap Warriors’ 19-game home winning streak in OT

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — For the first time in 19 games at Oracle Arena, the Golden State Warriors know what it feels like to lose.

Derrick Rose’s step back jumper with 7 seconds in overtime lifted the Chicago Bulls to a 113-111 victory over Golden State Tuesday night, snapping the Warriors’ franchise record 19-game home winning streak.

Rose finished with 30 points 13-of-33 shooting, seven rebounds, and 11 turnovers (1 assist). According to Elias Sports Bureau, Rose is the first player in NBA history to have at least 30 points, 10 turnovers, and 1 or fewer assists in a game.

Klay Thompson’s running bank shot with 2.9 seconds left rimmed out, sending Golden State to only their second home loss of the season. Not to mention it was Golden State’s first loss in 15 games to the Eastern Conference this season.

Chicago took a 107-105 lead after Kirk Hinrich drilled a 3 from the right side with 15.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Then with 1.4 seconds remaining, Warriors’ power forward Draymond Green out-jumped Bulls’ big men Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol to tip in a missed Andre Iguodala desperation 3 that tied the game at 107, forcing overtime.

“We wanted to compete with those guys,” said Rose after the game. “They are a great team that competes and we were able to stay with them and keep the game close, which helped us get the win.”

Gasol finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds, Noah scored 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Nikola Mirotic scored 12 points, while Taj Gibson and Aaron Brooks each scored 10 points off the bench for Chicago (30-17), who got back into the win column after losing to the Miami Heat 96-84 in Chicago Sunday.

With Andrew Bogut coming down with flu-like symptoms shortly before tipoff and Marreese Speights inserted into the starting lineup, Chicago bullied a depleted Warriors’ frontcourt, out-rebounding Golden State 61-48.

“Their frontline was tough tonight,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “It was a great game, fun game. There were times we felt like we had the game but, they [Chicago], worked. We scrapped and clawed, but we didn’t get it done.”

Kerr was right, Golden State didn’t get it done tonight against a Bulls team that clapped down defensively on Golden State.

After shooting 61 percent from the field in the first quarter (12-for-23), Golden State had trouble putting the ball in the basket finishing 48-of-113 (42 percent).

“We looked tired…after such a hot start in the first quarter, but just couldn’t get

The NBA’s No. 1 3-point shooting team couldn’t buy a bucket in the second half, shooting 0-for-13 from behind the arc after shooting 6-of-11 from deep in the first quarter.

Golden State shot 9-of-33 (27 percent) on 3s.

Thompson scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, Stephen Curry scored 21 points and dished out nine assists, but the “Splash Brothers” shot 9-of-32 in the second half and in overtime.

Thompson added 10 rebounds, and Curry had nine assists.

David Lee had one of his best games of the season, scoring 17 of his 23 points in the third quarter. Lee shot 10-for-17 from the floor.

“I thought we had a stretch in the fourth quarter where we didn’t score and they picked it up,” said Lee, who also had nine rebounds and six assists. “I thought we fought hard, but just came up short tonight.”

Golden State dominated the fast break, outscoring the Bulls 31-8, and forced 21 turnovers into 22 points.

At 36-7, Golden State are still playing at a high level, but you can’t win them all. The Warriors close out their five-game homestand at 4-1, bringing their home record to an NBA-best 21-2.

Golden State get back on the court Friday night in Utah.

Game Notes

  • The Warriors announced on Monday that the team plans to wear a special Chinese New Year uniform. The uniform, which will be worn for Golden State’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 20, has “Warriors” is spelled out in Mandarin on the uniform’s front, and the sleeve features a goat, the animal the Chinese attribute to this upcoming year. The jersey also features red and yellow piping. Red is the color associated with good luck, while yellow is connected to wealth and happiness.”The meaning of a warrior certainly translates into the Chinese culture well as they are very familiar with what being a warrior means,” said Rick Welts, the team’s president and chief operating officer. “I think they’d be hard-pressed to make a similar connection to the Lakers.”
  • The 2015 NBA All-Star game reserves will be announced Thursday, and Klay Thompson is expected to be named a reserve. Thompson was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season on Monday.
  • First 10,000 fans At Oracle Arena received the tallest bobblehead (10”) in Warriors franchise history Tuesday of former center, Manute Bol.Bol played for the Warriors for three seasons (1988-90, 1994-95). In his first season with Golden State in 1988-89, Bol led the league with a team-record 345 blocks while also demonstrating a rare shooting touch for a man his size, converting on 20 three-pointers. The Sudanese star averaged 3.34 blocks per game in his career, the second-best mark in league history, and ranks 15th on the NBA’s all-time blocks list with over 2,000 career rejections. Bol’s son, Chris Bol, was in attendance to honor his father, who passed away on June 19, 2010.