The Kings lacked energy in the first half and put themselves in the unenviable position of trailing by double-digits early. They came out in the second half and looked like a different team, stream rolling the Bulls on the home court for a 108-89 victory.
Mired in chaos over the last few days, Chicago played well for the first 24 minutes, but once the Kings got hot, it was lights out. Zach LaVine led the way for the Bulls with 19 points and Lauri Markkanen chipped in 13 as they dropped to 6-22 on the season.
After a slow start, the Kings outscored the Bulls 63-33 in the second half for the runaway victory.
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Sacramento improved to 3-1 on their four-game road trip and 14-12 overall. Here are five notes from the Kings' win in Chicago:
Fox for the win
De'Aaron Fox struggled in the first half, hitting just two free throws in the first 24 minutes. He looked like a different player coming out of the locker room, scoring 16 of his game-high 25 points as the Kings made a run in the third quarter.
The 20-year-old point guard is becoming a star in his second season in the league. In addition to the scoring, he added six assists, four rebounds and four steals in the win. He also knocked down 4-of-6 from long range and changed the game with his defensive effort.
NBA
Keeping it close
With Fox and Buddy Hield both struggling with their shot in the first half, Willie Cauley-Stein went to work for Sacramento. The 7-footer ran the floor, played the passing lanes and was active on both ends of the floor.
He doesn't need to score 20 to be extremely effective. Against the Bulls, he finished with 11 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and three steals. He was focused on the glass, especially in the second half where he pulled down 11 rebounds in 14 minutes.
Hit and miss
Hield waited as long as possible to shine. After missing all but one shot in the first half, Hield buried a pair of 3-pointers in the late third to help the Kings separate from the Bulls. He scored another five points in the fourth to finish with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.
It was a rough first half for the Kings' leading scorer on the season, but he managed to post a team-high +27 in the plus/minus category.
Bagley is better
Marvin Bagley ran up against his former Duke teammate and fellow 2018 lottery pick, Wendell Carter. Bagley won both the battle and the war. The Kings' rookie scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting of the bench, although he managed to grab just two rebounds in 27 minutes.
Carter posted eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes for the Bulls.
The finisher
The Kings took a seven-point lead into the fourth and then Bogdan Bogdanovic showed up. In his new role as six-man, Bogdanovic scored 11 of his 16 points in the final 12 minutes. He knocked down three 3-pointers in the fourth and helped put the Bulls away.