NEWSLETTER
I want a W.
Broadcast Info
Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls (8:00 CT) NBC Sports Chicago, 670 The Score (Audio)
Chicago Bulls
Projected Starters:
1. Coby White
2. Zach LaVine
3. Garrett Temple
4. Patrick Williams
5. Wendell Carter Jr.
Injury Report: Lauri Markkanen OUT (shoulder), Otto Porter OUT (back), Chandler Hutchison OUT (personal reasons)
Sacramento Kings
Projected Starters:
1. De’Aaron Fox
2. Buddy Hield
3. DaQuan Jeffries
4. Nemanja Bjelica
5. Marvin Bagley
Injury Report: Richaun Holmes QUESTIONABLE (knee), Harrison Barnes OUT (foot), Glenn Robinson III OUT (knee)
Odds
The Bulls are 1.5 point underdogs for tonight’s matchup against the Kings, according to the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook (-112). As for the PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook (-115) and the DraftKings Illinois Sportsbook (-112), the Bulls check-in at +2.
You can sign up for each of those books below, and get yourself a nice deposit bonus in the process.
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What to Watch For
• Can the Bulls play with the same intensity we saw from them last night? I have no question we will see a pretty tired team at times tonight, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for a lack of effort.
• Zach LaVine had his worst shooting night of the season on Friday (despite finishing with 30 points). The good news for him is now he will get to play a Sacramento Kings team that is currently operating with a league-worst defensive rating. They are allowing opponents to shoot 39.7 percent from behind the arc on a nightly basis, so this should be a good opportunity for LaVine to fight off any kind of mini-shooting slump.
• Likewise, it could help Coby White get rolling again. The Bulls inconsistent point guard has missed double-digits in two-straight games after an encouraging three-game stretch that included a beautiful 30-point performance against the Pelicans. The last time White played this Kings team, he scored a career-high 36 points and dished out 7 assists. Let’s hope that previous performance bodes well for his chances tonight.
• Is Daniel Gafford ahead of Luke Kornet in the rotation?
• Head coach Billy Donovan and Wendell Carter Jr. himself sounded disappointing in his defensive performance against big man Joel Embiid. In my opinion, there wasn’t much else Carter Jr. can do, but perhaps last night’s outing will help him head into this matchup with a chip on his shoulder.
• Please, don’t let Tyrese Haliburton kill you. The rookie finished with 17 points and 6 assists the first time these two met, and he was arguably single-handedly responsible for pulling off the W thanks to his 15 points in the 4th quarter (including a dagger 3-pointer on LaVine).
Get Caught Up …
Still no Harrison Barnes (foot) tonight for the Kings. No Glenn Robinson III (knee) and Richaun Holmes (knee) is going to warm up and try to play. Marvin Bagley III and DaQuan Jeffries are on minutes restrictions. If Holmes plays, he'll be on a minutes restriction.
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) February 21, 2021
LIVE: Head Coach Billy Donovan media availability prior to tonight’s game against the Kings https://t.co/48Y0alegVK
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 21, 2021
An Acceptable Loss, Zach LaVine’s Defense, Bring Back Gafford, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/JhQ25qnNVH
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 20, 2021
