Bulls Eye 4-0 Start Against Sacramento Kings
The Chicago Bulls are off to their strongest start in years, opening the season 3-0 for the first time since 2021–22. With at least six players scoring in double figures in each game and a relentless defensive approach, the Bulls are showing both balance and depth across their lineup.
Forward Kevin Huerter credited the team’s energy and rotations for their early momentum. “We keep playing at this pace, have the fresh bodies going in and out, I think we can wear teams down,” Huerter said. “(Coach Billy Donovan has) talked about our identity in the preseason to us, and everyone in the room believed that we not only had depth but believed in that depth.”
The Bulls will look to continue their strong start on Wednesday night, when they host the Sacramento Kings — a team led by two familiar faces to Chicago fans, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. The former Bulls stars nearly helped the Kings topple the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, but Sacramento couldn’t hold on late, falling 107–101 after the Thunder closed the game on a 17–4 run.
LaVine led Sacramento with 23 points, while DeRozan added 19, and Domantas Sabonis posted 10 points and 18 rebounds. After the game, Kings coach Doug Christie expressed frustration over his team’s inability to close games. “We probably should be 4-0, but we’re not ready to be 4-0,” Christie said. “And we’ve got to look in the mirror on that. Because 4-0 means all that little stuff … it gets handled when it’s winning time. That’s on me, too. The players, like I tell them, ‘It’s never your fault.’ I’m always taking the bullet. So I will stand on that and always be in the way to protect them. We just have to figure out how to close now.”
Chicago, meanwhile, has found ways to finish strong. In Monday’s 128–123 win over Atlanta, Ayo Dosunmu led eight Bulls in double figures with 21 points, while Josh Giddey (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Nikola Vucevic (17 points, 17 rebounds) recorded double-doubles. Vucevic came within one assist of a triple-double in the victory.
Coach Billy Donovan praised his team’s chemistry and drive. “I do think the group likes each other, and I think they are competitive guys,” Donovan said. “Like any player at this level, they certainly want to prove themselves. Sometimes, different situations create different opportunities for guys, but I sense there’s a level that these guys feel like maybe they really need to step up and prove themselves, and we really need to keep that because we have to do that. That’s important.”
Donovan also noted encouraging progress from injured players Coby White (right calf strain) and Zach Collins (left wrist fracture), both of whom are nearing returns.
The Bulls and Kings have split their last two-season series, with Sacramento holding a 6-4 edge over the past 10 meetings. Vucevic has recorded five consecutive double-doubles against the Kings, and Chicago will aim to win consecutive matchups for the first time since a five-game streak between 2014–15 and 2016–17.
With balanced scoring, renewed confidence, and emerging chemistry, the Bulls are poised to chase their first 4-0 start in three seasons — a benchmark that could define their identity early in the 2025 campaign.
