Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings Takeaways: A Win with a Wild Finish

Jan 21, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson (10) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

In the second night of a back-to-back, Dwyane Wade helped lead the Chicago Bulls to a 102-99 win over the Sacramento Kings, in what turned out to be a wild finish at the United Center.

Wade, in a rare NBA moment, took to social media after Chicago’s Friday night loss to tweet his apologies to Bulls fans. Coming off the beat down to the Atlanta Hawks, which saw the Bulls get blown out 35-13 in the first quarter, the team played with a bit more heart against the Kings. Wade’s play, more than his post game comments, helped spark the big win.

The late start at the United Center saw Chicago look shaky at times, but the win once again helps the Bulls creep back closer to .500.

David Joerger’s team came into the contest losers of four straight, having won only two of their last 10. Yet, the Kings are still in contention for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. DeMarcus Cousins, the NBA’s sixth leading scorer, had an amazing effort, scoring 42 and grabbing 14 rebounds. But like many nights, Cousins will draw headlines for something more than his stellar play. Hope you watched the last minute.

Jimmy Butler played well for the Bulls, but the All-Star starter was less consistent and failed to attack the rim. It was Wade who took over Butler’s role of going to the free-throw line all night lone.

Chicago’s bench unit was once again lost throughout most of the game.

Fred Hoiberg continues to search for a playable rotation off the bench. But nothing seems to be working. Nikola Mirotic scored 11, but once again he proved to be the opposite of consistent. Doug McDermott took only five shots and made only one.

Paul Zipser was first man off the pine against the Kings, as Hoiberg tried to shake things up. And it worked. The young German played well in 23 minutes of action.

The Bulls win over the Kings leaves Chicago at 22-23, and now sit alone in eighth place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Now for three takeaways from the much needed win.

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Wade Steps Up

Wade can still really dominate NBA basketball games, and that is great to see for Bulls fans.

The 35-year-old turned back the clock just a few days after his birthday. Wade scored 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting. He also filled up the rest of the stat sheet. Wade grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. More impressively, he had three steals and an eye-popping four blocked shots, which included a crazy close out on a 3-point shooter near the end of the fourth quarter.

Wade’s night was also remarkable because he took over for Butler in the leading role of “Mr. Get to the Stripe.” The Bulls shooting guard got to the line 15 times, missing only three. On a night when the Bulls need to beat a Kings team short on talent, aside from Cousins, Wade made sure his team wasn’t going to lose.

Wade had it going from the opening tip. He attacked the rim, and mixed in some vintage turnaround jump shots. Wade had back-to-back assists to Mirotic in the second quarter to help spark the Bulls. And he finished the first half with 13 points.

Some of the biggest plays down the stretch involved the Chicago native. He tipped in a Butler miss on a fast break layup attempt late in the second half. He was also involved in two of the biggest plays of the game, both of which also featured Cousins.

Wade made a strip at the top of the key with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, and on the break it looked like he was set to secure a big win for the Bulls. But the veteran guard missed a two-handed dunk attempt. Luckily for him and Chicago, Cousins was called for an awful foul. After making only one of two foul shots, to put his team up by one point, it once again came down to Wade and the Kings superstar.

Wade helped secure a huge Bulls home win with his stellar defense all night long. He also made sure to get his teammates involved. It was a throwback night for Wade, and it was certainly needed.

Now on to everyone’s favorite young German.

Oct 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16) is defended by Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3) during the second half at the United Center. The Hornets won 108-104 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

German Range

Zipser was not in the Bulls rotation to start the season, or really at any point until the last few weeks, but now the young German looks poised to stay in the lineup.

The Bulls second-round pick once again showed the fans, his coach and most importantly his teammates that he can really play. Zipser also continued to prove he is unafraid of the moment or the NBA. Unlike many of his fellow bench mates, he knows when to let it fly from 3-point range, which in the case of Mirotic, McDermott and the German, is every time they are open.

In a surprise move, Zipser was the first man off Hoiberg’s bench. He quickly rewarded his coach by knocking down a 3-pointer from the corner. Zipser also proved he can put the ball on the floor and finish around the rim. He finished the first quarter on 3-of-4 shooting, including two nothing-but-net long balls.