Preview: Bulls at Kings

[February 03, 2016]  The Chicago Bulls followed up an embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a crushing setback at the Utah Jazz in what is beginning to look like a rough seven-game road trip. The Bulls will try to pick themselves up when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Chicago kicked off the trip with a win over the lowly Los Angeles Lakers but followed it up with a 120-93 setback against the Clippers before blowing a late lead at Utah in a 105-96 overtime loss. The Bulls have dropped nine of the last 13 games and are regularly struggling with offensive rhythm in the final minutes of games. Chicago could catch a break on Wednesday if DeMarcus Cousins (sprained left ankle) is forced to miss a second straight game, though Rudy Gay had no trouble picking up the slack on Monday. Gay scored 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting and added nine rebounds and six assists as Sacramento snapped a four-game slide with a 111-104 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), CSN California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE BULLS (26-21): All-Star guard Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 26 points in 47 minutes on Monday but was disappointed in the overall direction of the team in the last five minutes of the game and the last month in general. "Just being careless with the ball," Butler told reporters. "Weren't doing what we were supposed to do. That's how we've been playing. That's the way it's been going. And the same outcome is what we've gotten every time." Center Pau Gasol suggested the team was “not disciplined” after the loss to the Clippers, and first-year coach Fred Hoiberg is searching for answers.

ABOUT THE KINGS (21-27): Gay missed four of the last six games in January with heel and eye injuries but looked plenty healthy in shouldering more of the scoring load with Cousins out on Monday. “I think it was great – ball movement, fourth quarter I believe we only had one turnover,” Gay told reporters. “We moved the ball well and we were cautious about it, made the right pass, people made shots and it was beautiful.” Cousins had X-rays on his ankle come back negative and is officially considered day-to-day.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings PG Rajon Rondo is shooting 57.1 percent from 3-point range over the last five games, including 4-of-4 on Monday.

2. Gasol is shooting 59.5 percent from the field in the last five games.

3. The home team has taken the last seven meetings in the series.

PREDICTION: Kings 103, Bulls 101

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.