SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Coby White scored 35 points as the Chicago Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 128-116 on Thursday night. Kevin Huerter scored 25 points while adding five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Nikola Vucevic shot 9 for 14, including 4 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 24 points. Malik Monk led the way for the Kings with 34 points and five assists. Sacramento also got 22 points and six rebounds from Trey Lyles.
The Bulls entered halftime down 64-55. Vucevic paced the team in scoring in the first half with 11 points. An 11-0 run in the third quarter turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead for the Bulls. They outscored the Kings by 21 points in the final two quarters, as White led the way with 31 second-half points.
Takeaways Bulls: Chicago took advantage of Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis sitting out with a sprained right ankle. The Bulls got a strong offensive performance from Huerter, who scored one short of his season high on 10-for-16 shooting. It was his highest point total since Dec. 8. Kings: Sacramento followed a surprise win over East-leading Cleveland on Wednesday with a poor defensive effort against the Bulls. The Kings allowed Chicago to shoot 52.3% from the field.
Key moment Huerter’s driving layup with 8:15 remaining gave the Bulls the lead for good. Key stat The Bulls shot 42.9% from the 3-point line (15 for 35). Next up The Bulls travel to take on the Lakers in their next game on Saturday night. The Kings play host to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
It might be a long time before fans get to see another player like Sacramento Kings swingman DeMar DeRozan, who became the 27th player in NBA history to score 25,000 or more career points during his team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls. At a time when the 3-ball has changed the way the sports is played and analyzed, the six-time All-Star has resisted the revolution, sticking to his guns. In fact, when DeRozan nailed the shot that got him past the threshold of his latest milestone, it was a midrange bucket. His shot. The one that defined an entire era. The one that was popularized by NBA icons like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two players that the 35-year-old is known to have immense respect for.
In the 2024-25 season, DeMar DeRozan is averaging 22.2 points per game, his 12th straight season averaging at least 20 points per game. Though he’s only averaged over 25 points per game twice in that span, his durability and remarkable consistency have allowed him to surpass Hall of Fame players like Larry Bird, Dwyane Wade, and Allen Iverson in all-time scoring.
DeRozan has scored on a career-low seven dunks this season. Nonetheless, similar to Wade, he’s able to pull out old reliable — the midrange jumper. His footwork and touch could be on the same level as Wade’s, if not better. He certainly has a slight height advantage over Wade. In any case, this has served him extremely well, as he’s converted 45.4 percent of shots he’s taken 10-16 feet away from the rim for his career. If he can establish position closer to the basket, he’s even better, shooting 46.9 percent 3-10 feet away from the rim.
As of March 21, 2025, DeMar DeRozan has just 112 fewer career points than Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Considered the greatest 3-point shooter of all time, Curry was drafted two spots ahead of DeRozan. The Milwaukee Bucks, with a record of 38-30, are playing the Sacramento Kings, with a record of 35-34, in a non-conference game on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 10 p.m. EDT. The Sacramento Kings are 18-16 in home games.
Sacramento ranks eighth in the Western Conference with 11.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Domantas Sabonis, who is averaging 3.8. The Milwaukee Bucks are 14-18 on the road. Milwaukee is 17-9 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.1 turnovers per game. The Kings make 47.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.4 percentage points higher than the Bucks have allowed to their opponents at 45.4%.
The Kings are led by Malik Monk, who is scoring 18.1 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds. DeRozan is averaging 23.6 points and 4.0 rebounds over the last 10 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.2 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Bucks.
In their last 10 games, the Kings have gone 4-6, averaging 115.4 points, 40.3 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 6.9 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.8 points per game during that stretch. The Bucks, meanwhile, have averaged 116.9 points, 45.1 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 7.5 steals, and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.0% from the field.
Injury updates show that Domantas Sabonis is out for the Sacramento Kings with an ankle injury, while Jericho Sims is out for the Milwaukee Bucks with a thumb injury. Damian Lillard is listed as day to day for the Bucks due to a groin injury.
