Salmons leads Bulls past Kings
Jannero Pargo didn't play a second in Saturday's victory over Philadelphia.
When Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro was asked why, he talked about tough matchups against the Sixers' tall guards and said it just wasn't Pargo's night.
Tuesday in Sacramento, it was definitely Pargo's night. Starting with a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer, the veteran sharpshooter scored 10 points in four possessions. Pargo's outburst stretched a 1-point Bulls lead to 34-25.
The Bulls (6-4) stayed ahead the rest of the way and started the annual circus road trip with a 101-87 victory at Arco Arena, snapping the Kings' four-game winning streak.
It was the first time this season the Bulls reached 100 points. Their previous season-high was 94 against Philadelphia.
Guard John Salmons had a pleasant return to Sacramento, hitting 8 of 14 shots for a team-high 23 points. The Bulls acquired Salmons and center Brad Miller (11 points) in a trade from the Kings last Feb. 18.
"I heard the cheers and it definitely felt good," Salmons said. "It's nice they recognize what I did for the team while I was here. When I go to Philly (where his NBA career began), I get booed."
The Bulls kept up a steady lead throughout the second quarter, then pulled out to a 61-47 advantage at halftime. Sacramento scored the first 5 points of the third quarter, but the Bulls quickly stretched their lead to 67-52 after Luol Deng (16 points) knocked down a pair of long jumpers.
The Kings got as close as 7 points early in the fourth and had two opportunities to get closer but could not convert. The Bulls pulled away thanks to a couple of tip-ins by center Joakim Noah, who finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, his fifth straight double-double.
"The fourth quarter wasn't pretty," Del Negro said. "Joakim had a couple of tip-ins that were very big. It's good to get a road victory with such a long trip coming up."
Derrick Rose had another rough game, hitting just 2 of 12 shots for 10 points and 7 assists. Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans, who like Rose spent one season in college at Memphis, scored 20 points.
The Bulls finally improved their league-worst 3-point shooting, knocking down 7 of 12 attempts, led by 3 from Salmons. Four different Bulls knocked down 3-point shots, including rookie James Johnson.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Mike McGraw's game tracker</p> <p class="News">Bulls 101, Kings 87</p> <p class="News"><b>Pargo picks up pace:</b> Reserve guard Jannero Pargo helped get the circus trip off to a good start. He scored 10 points in four possessions to give the Bulls a 9-point lead early in the second quarter. John Salmons also had a good night, tallying 23 points in a return to his former home of Sacramento. The Bulls scored 100 points for the first time this season.</p> <p class="News"><b>King of the boards:</b> The Kings trimmed a 17-point deficit to 7 midway through the fourth quarter, but center Joakim Noah gave the Bulls some breathing room with a couple of tip-ins. The NBA's leading rebounder finished with 15 points and 14 boards, recording his fifth straight double-double.</p> <p class="News"><b>Nocioni sits out:</b> Ex-Bulls forward Andres Nocioni did not play because of a hip pointer. His replacement, former Syracuse forward Donte Greene, led the Kings with 24 points.</p>