The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST days after defeating the No.2 seed in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets, Buddy Hield was vocal on his team’s lack of effort in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The Kings fell to 8-11 after a 113-106 loss to the 7-14 Chicago Bulls Tuesday night at home in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Hield finished with a team high 26 points.

“We just took this team too lightly. We didn’t respect them enough, we were up by 11, we got too cool and when you give a team confidence, they come back and they bite you quick. They made a run, Colby White started making some shots, they were scrappy, everybody got after it, got some easy ones going and they built a lead. We got a crack at it in the fourth quarter...but it’s basketball man, you can’t take teams lightly. It’s a game we should have won” he said. “We cant play Denver well and have a let down in Chicago. Don’t take teams for granted. “

The Kings squandered an 11 point, first-quarter lead only to see a 22-point turnaround by the second quarter. The Bulls would take a 55-44 lead into the half.

The Bulls led by 19 early in the second half but nearly squandered a lead of their own. They committed eight of its 18 turnovers in the fourth quarter and made only one field goal over the final 4.5 minutes as the Kings made a late push.

Hield hit a step-back jumper that pulled the Kings to 102-100 with 2:18 remaining. Lauri Markkanen followed with a pair of free throws, then exchanged three-pointers with Hield on back-to-back possessions to make the score 107-103.

Sacramento got the ball back but Hield missed three shots from beyond the arc in the last 36 seconds, and Zach LaVine sealed the game at the free throw line.

“We were down by two, I went for the three to get us over the hump. I thought it was a good shot, we had momentum, the crowd was into the game. I wish I made that, the game could have gone differently. After that we had to try to catch up, it was tough,” Hield said.

“We’re a team capable of getting it back but you don’t want to have to do that every night. Guys in this league are good, they’re capable of making shots so we can’t be slacking. I know we’re shorthanded but we can’t be slacking. We have to be more mature and it starts from the head down to the tail. We have to do a better job.”

Despite his team leading 26 points, Hield shot just 3-13 from three-point range. “It’s a slump going on but we can’t worry about that, it happens. When we get rolling it’ll be fine. We’re not shooting the three ball well. I have to find it, we have to find but you have to compete everyday, love the adversity that comes with it and keep fighting.”

Aside from a 41-point outburst against the Celtics on November 25, Hield has struggled from three-point range over the last seven games.

Against other opponents, he is shooting 13-60 from beyond the arc since November 19.

“Those are shots I’m going to shoot regardless if it’s the first quarter, second quarter, overtime, those are my shots that I’m going to shoot and I don’t care what anybody says, this is what I do, this is how I got in the league,” Hield said.

“I’m not bothered by shooting slumps, I’m going to keep shooting and be who I am and that’s what’s going to keep me in this league.”

The Kings begin a four-game road trip tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers. The teams split two games in Sacramento earlier this season.

“We got to have confidence regardless of who we are playing, Portland is a good team, they added an additional piece with ‘Melo and he’s playing really well,” Hield said.

“No matter who is in front of us we have to go out there and compete regardless, that’s a tough place to play and we have to be ready. No matter shows on the court or not we have to compete, we have some catching up to do but we have guys that are built for this.”

After a slow start to the season, the Kings are currently 8-11, fourth in the Pacific Division.

In the midst of an 0-5 start, the Kings suffered injuries to the 2018 No.2 overall pick Marvin Bagley for 4-6 weeks and De’Aaron Fox, the 2017 No.5 overall pick, is likely out until around the All-Star break.

“We’re not where we want to be for sure. We show signs, but we also show signs of just tricking it off all the time. It’s been typical of what we do, winning first halves and losing second halves. We just have to find that consistent balance and maturity to be locked in and focused every time,” Hield said.

“Having a goal and mindset that we are trying to get to the playoffs, once we have that mindset I think we will be more locked in, win games like this and win games we should down the stretch.”