Chicago Sun-Times

Bulls blown out in 2nd half

- BY JOE COWLEY, STAFF REPORTER jcowley@suntimes.com | @suntimes_hoops

It’s not often that the Kings can clown on any team in the league, let alone one that has six championsh­ip banners hanging from its rafters.

But there they were after their 108-89 comeback victory Monday against the Bulls at the United Center.

As the Kings were walking back to the locker room, one player yelled, “Uh-oh, another 2½-hour practice for them tomorrow.’’

That was cold, but considerin­g the Bulls are scheduled to practice at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and fly out to Mexico City around 2 p.m., it wasn’t too far off.

Jim Boylen will have plenty to coach up after this latest loss.

The Bulls (6-22) had a 56-45 lead at the half, then were outscored 63-33 in the second half. They had a season-high 27 turnovers.

Bobby Portis and Kris Dunn returned from knee injuries, and the team moved closer to full strength, but obvious problems remain.

“We’re just having a hard time sustaining a style we want to play for 48 minutes,’’ Boylen said. “I gotta do a better job at this because we’re having a hard time doing the basics for the whole 48 minutes. That’s what we’ve got to work on, and that’s where we gotta grow.

“I thought [Sacramento’s] energy went up and our energy went down as the game went on. That’s something we’ve got to fix, and that’s what we’re going to do.’’

 ?? Kris Dunn (left) and Bobby Portis returned Monday against the Kings and had nine points apiece.
GETTY IMAGES ??
Kris Dunn (left) and Bobby Portis returned Monday against the Kings and had nine points apiece. GETTY IMAGES

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