Mar 20, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) controls the ball against Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
On the second night of a back-to-back at home and following their most impressive win of the season over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sacramento Kings blew a 19-point lead to the lowly Chicago Bulls on Friday night, dropping to 35-34 on the year. Coby White led all scorers with 35 points, 32 of which came in the second half, while Kevin Huerter scored 11 of his 25 points in the 4th quarter, alongside 5 boards, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Nikola Vucevic was also huge for Chicago, especially in the first half, and he ended the night with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 of his own assists. Malik Monk started off hot, scoring 15 of Sacramento’s first 22 points, finishing with 34 points overall, and DeMar DeRozan and Trey Lyles both put up 22 of their own.
### The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
#### The Good
**Trey Lyles:** As mentioned above, Trey Lyles was one of Sacramento’s best players on the floor, outplaying both Jonas Valanciunas and Keegan Murray from the four and five spots. Trey was hitting his treys, knocking down 4 of his 7 attempts, but he also maintained a level of aggression as a slasher, which turned into six free throws, all of which he made. An aggressive Lyles is a good Lyles.
#### The Bad
**Transition Defense:** There were quite a few reasons behind Sacramento’s collapse at the Golden 1 Center, but the team’s categorical refusal to get back in fast and secondary break situations was a primary culprit. Despite winning the turnover battle 14-12, Sacramento managed to surrender 25 fast break points to their own eight. Coby White was especially punishing in those situations, simply sprinting by Doug Christie’s defenders for layups and and-ones.
**Unserious Basketball:** The Sacramento Kings are not a serious organization, nor are they a serious basketball team. The Chicago Bulls are not particularly good, and when the Kings took a 59-40 lead toward the end of the second half at home, ESPN’s game predictor projected their win possibility at 95.8%. They were outscored 88-57 from that point, ultimately losing by 12, a 31-point swing in 27 minutes of game time. The squad certainly gets up for particular games at particular times, but Thursday night’s effort, or lack thereof, is a perfect demonstration as to why they below at the bottom of the play-in tournament.
**Fans Who Finished the Game:** Any fans out there who finished the game, and who did not have to write a recap, should either be commended or perhaps re-evaluate their life priorities.
#### Next Up
Saturday, March 22nd vs the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:00 pm PST.