Despite career-high from White, Bulls fall to Kings
The Bulls flew to California's capital city early Wednesday morning after beating Portland. So they were a long way from the chaos happening in the nation's capital.
Before the Bulls lost to Sacramento 128-124, coach Billy Donovan talked about how it felt like the summer again with some NBA teams organizing quiet displays or releasing statements.
The Bulls got a career-high 36 points from Coby White, while Zach LaVine added 32. Center Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds to go with 11 points. The score was tied at 110-110 with five minutes left, but the Bulls couldn't get enough stops down the stretch.
The Kings lost point guard De'Aaron Fox five minutes into the game with a hamstring injury and rookie Tyrese Haliburton put on a show, finishing with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. His corner 3 with 12 seconds left essentially put the game away.
Lockport native Richaun Holmes was also huge for the Kings, piling up a team-high 24 points and 8 rebounds. The Bulls didn't get the same kind of contributions they had been getting from veterans like Otto Porter Jr. (3 points).
Bulls guard Garrett Temple was active on Twitter during the afternoon, pointing out how Black Lives Matter protesters marching against police violence were met with tear gas and rubber bullets, while there was a more subdued reaction to protesters entering the U.S. Capitol building.
Donovan admitted he was too busy working on the game plan for Sacramento to watch what the news. But he relied on his experience from the summer, when he coach NBPA president Chris Paul in Oklahoma City and Donovan stressed listening to people who might have different outlooks and experiences.
"I don't think you can move forward without conversations," Donovan said before Wednesday's game. "I think all of our life experiences are different. We all come from different backgrounds, grew up differently, different environments, and you know you've got to come to a place where you've got to have discussions.
"I think being in the game of basketball as long as I've been in it, I was aware of a lot of the things that go on in terms of people being pulled over by the police for no reason, conversations that adults have to have with their children about if they do get pulled over how they have to deal with that. I've never ever, never had to have a conversation like that with my kids other than just be respectful."
Donovan grew up on Long Island and obviously has been a well-known basketball coach for a couple of decades.
"(Bulls assistant coach) Mo Cheeks has an incredible story, it's a sad story, and he's the greatest guy in the world, and to have him go through that, I just don't think anyone in our country in 2021 should be living in fear," he said. "That's the unfortunate part.
"There's two totally different perspectives of what someone has experienced, and I think unless you have conversations you cannot understand other peoples' experiences, so I think it's important to talk about, I think it's important to find ways we can all help make the country better, make these issues better."
Donovan also updated the Bulls health situation. He said Lauri Markkanen and Ryan Arcidiacono have not tested positive for COVID-19. Those two are not expected to join the team in Los Angeles when their quarantine ends, but Donovan said the Bulls are working with the league to try to find a way for them to resume basketball workouts in Chicago.
Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison are out indefinitely after positive tests for the coronavirus.
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