Clinging to slim playoff hopes, Chicago Bulls face NBA-worst Sacramento Kings

They enter the game 5 1/2 games behind Charlotte for the last play-in spot. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SACRAMENTO – The Chicago Bulls will seek to keep their longshot hopes alive of a .500 season and a possible back door into the NBA Eastern Conference play-in tournament, when they continue a Western swing against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night (Monday morning, Singapore time).

The Bulls lost 11 in a row – every game they played in February – to fall to 24-36 and were tailspinning into the depths of the lottery race before winning two of their last three, each against a playoff contender. Chicago enters Sunday’s game 5 1/2 games behind Charlotte for the last play-in spot.

Their improved play continued Thursday night when they opened a five-game trip with a 105-103 win at Phoenix.

Asked by reporters in Arizona why his team would be trying to win when many other losing clubs are being accused of tanking to improve draft position, coach Billy Donovan said simply: Winning is more fun.

“I want to win,” he insisted after a win that did more to damage the Suns’ playoff positioning than it did to help the Bulls’ predicament. “You’re competing to try and win, so absolutely you always want to do a good job and you want to be in position to win basketball games. It’s a result-oriented business.”

Acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline after averaging career lows in points (14.2) and minutes (22.3) per game, Collin Sexton had his best game as a Bull against the Suns, going for a season-high 30 points in a season-high 38 minutes.