Former Kings guard Kevin Huerter came back to haunt his old team Thursday when he returned to Sacramento for the first time since being traded to the Chicago Bulls.
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie predicted a “spicy” affair with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Huerter all facing their former teams. At the end of the night, Huerter was the one howling into the rafters in a moment of triumph after plunging two big daggers into the heart of his former team.
Huerter had 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals to help the Bulls beat the Kings 128-116 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. He went 10 of 16 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range, sealing Sacramento’s fate with back-to-back corner 3s in the final 2:35.
Huerter didn’t try to hide his feelings after the game when asked if it felt like a revenge game or any other basketball game.
“One hundred percent revenge game,” Huerter said. “One hundred percent, so that felt good.”
Coby White led all scorers with 35 points for the Bulls (30-40). Nikola Vucevic put up 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
Malik Monk scored 34 points to lead the Kings (35-34). DeRozan had 22 points on 9-of-22 shooting with four rebounds and five assists.
DeRozan, who spent three seasons with the Bulls before coming to Sacramento in a sign-and-trade deal last summer, was asked about the emotions involved when a player faces his former team.
“It can be different for everybody,” DeRozan said. “Everybody can have their own motivation going into a certain game like that depending on the connection, the history, so many things. It’s different for everybody, and sometimes it brings the best out of you as well. Look at Kev. He came in here like he had a grudge, and he played like it. He hit big shots. He came through big, put up 25 for them, and that’s how it goes sometimes when you’re playing against your former team.”
LaVine and Huerter faced their former teams for the first time since being traded for each other in February in the three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. LaVine was held to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting 24 hours after missing Wednesday’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers due to personal reasons.
Christie offered a candid response when asked before the game how players feel going up against their former teams.
“Spicy,” Christie said. “It’s always interesting with those ones. Whenever you’re in a place you feel like you’re not wanted but then you go to a place where you feel like you’re wanted, it’s just kind of how it goes. The point is you’ve got to control your emotions, and you’ve got to go out and play a good ball game. You want to show people where you were what you’re about, and obviously you’re rocking with your new team.”
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Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.