Is this the most Chicago Bulls loss of the season?

After upsetting the Phoenix Suns on their home floor for only their second win since the start of February, the Bulls get punched in the mouth by the banged-up Sacramento Kings, 126-110. The loss moves the Bulls to just 4-8 against NBA teams with 20 or fewer wins this season. And, yet, they still hold just the 9th-best lottery odds. Tough.

3 TakeawaysPounding the Paint

While it’s impossible to go into any contest expecting the Chicago Bulls to dominate, this sure felt like a game they should’ve controlled from the jump. First of all, Sacramento entered the night with a league-low 14 wins. They also ruled out DeMar DeRozan shortly before tip-off, who has essentially served as their leading scorer all season long.

Secondly, the Bulls were welcoming back four rotation players. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis rejoined the starting lineup after missing just one game. Buzelis has been playing the best basketball of his young career before the ankle tweak against OKC. Meanwhile, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith were both given the green light to bolster the team’s frontcourt. Already strapped for size after the trade deadline, those two have become that much more important for this current roster.

Nevertheless, the tanking Kings smelled blood. The Bulls have dropped countless games to the NBA’s worst this season, and Sacramento looked well aware. They came out in full downhill attack mode, going right at the smaller Guerschon Yabusele to begin stacking points in the paint and rocking the rim. Even as Billy Donovan called in Jalen Smith and Nick Richards, Sacramento’s momentum remained intact against a porous and less-physical Bulls defense.

Rookie Maime Raynaud proved to be the biggest problem. The Kings spammed the agile seven-foot rookie, setting him up for a 7-13 shooting performance in the paint during the first half alone. This paved the way for an ugly 34-14 lead in points in the paint going into the break.

To the Bulls’ credit, they tried to even the playing field and did get themselves into the bounce early in the second quarter. But they failed to make the most of it and shot a discouraging 13-20 at the free throw line over the first two quarters. The cold shooting and non-existent rim protection resulted in a shocking 65-51 deficit.

Did the lead feel safe for the Kings? I wouldn’t go that far, but it felt a lot sturdier than anyone would have expected. Other than Collin Sexton, the Bulls were struggling to find a consistent source of offense. The Kings also clearly had a winning formula in the restricted area. They would finish the night with a ridiculous 68-36 lead in the paint. There is no overcoming that.

How Did Billy Donovan Handle the Rotation?

With Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, and Jalen Smith returning to the court tonight, Billy Donovan had a decision to make. Would he continue to feed Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller developmental minutes, or would he lean on his veterans in hopes that it leads to a second consecutive victory? I bet most of you could guess the answer.

Donovan continued to favor experience, going with Collin Sexton and Jalen Smith off the bench first. Nick Richards would soon follow before Patrick Williams checked in. Dillingham did end up seeing some first-quarter minutes, but he would go on to finish the evening with the fewest minutes of any rotation player. As for Miller, he was on the outside looking in again and only stepped on the court once garbage time hit.

At this rate, it was an unsurprising approach for Donovan. He’s going to coach to win, and I guess you can’t necessarily fault him for valuing the game in that way. With that said, the Bulls were never quite in this one. Why not try to shake things up and see if the youngsters could provide a spark?

Oh well, I guess the good news is that Matas Buzelis essentially picked up where he left off. Dropping 20+ in three of his four games behind the ankle injury, he came out and dropped 20 points again on an 8-9 shooting effort from the free throw line. He also added 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Win or lose, Buzelis’ aggressiveness is the one thing the Bulls must continue to encourage.

Collin Sexton’s Heater

Collin Sexton was the only reason the Chicago Bulls had a small shot at clawing back into the game. The guard ignited shortly after checking in off the bench, and his fire stayed lit until an injury forced him to leave the game after the third quarter.

During his 22 minutes of play, Sexton dropped 28 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. Seven of those made field goals came from downtown, marking a career-high for the eight-year veteran. He was pulling up with incredible confidence, holding his follow-through in celebration after nearly every shot. Sexton now has 20+ points in four straight games, which makes him only the third Bulls player this season to accomplish that, per Bulls.

Does it probably make the most sense for Sexton and the Bulls to part ways this summer? Yes, and that is part of the reason why these performances may feel a bit hollow. However, if the Bulls are looking to turn things around sooner rather than later, who’s to say Sexton isn’t someone they might try to keep around as a potential sixth man? I could see the front office showing some interest in that based on how well he’s played as of late.

Again, no one is saying this should be a priority come free agency, especially if the Bulls are going to stick with a more traditional rebuild. But I could see them considering it if they use their financial flexibility and assets to add other immediate upgrades.

Four Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats: 20 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST

As stated above, it was encouraging to see Matas Buzelis pick up where he left off. Especially when we consider he was coming off an ankle tweak, you have to respect him for putting his body on the line and trying to draw contact.

Josh Giddey – B
Stats: 15 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST

The performance may not have amounted to much, but it was Josh Giddey’s 16th triple-double of his Chicago Bulls career. He’s now moved into second place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard, surpassing Scottie Pippen and moving behind only Michael Jordan.

Nick Richards – C-
Stats: 10 PTS, 11 REB

Another double-double for Nick Richards off the bench, and he happened to be the only Bull to finish with a positive plus-minus. Still, he wasn’t solving any of the Bulls’ rim protection problems, and he let the ball slide out of his hands one too many times.

Guerschon Yabusele – D+
Stats: 4 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST

Guerschon Yabusele has played a lot of good basketball lately, but this was not a good night for the undersized big man. He played an unfortunate part in Chicago’s defensive struggles.

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