(SportsNetwork.com) - The Sacramento Kings hope to put an end to a seven-game losing streak Monday when they welcome the Chicago Bulls to Sleep Train Arena.
The Kings' woes continued with Saturday's 95-93 loss at San Antonio, as Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 23 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 26 points and Rudy Gay added 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Kings, who have suffered close losses in each of the past six games against competitive clubs.
"Playoff teams, we're playing them down to the wire," said Gay. "For us to get over that hump we have to continue to play great defense like we've been doing."
DeMarcus Cousins is still bothered by an ankle injury and hasn't played since Jan. 22 in a loss at Houston. Cousins and Jimmer Fredette (illness) are both questionable Monday.
Sacramento will also host Toronto on this brief homestand and has lost three in a row in California's capital city.
The Bulls will resume their six-game western road trip and are 1-1 so far on the sojourn. After defeating the Spurs to open the trek, the Bulls dropped an 88-79 decisions to New Orleans on Saturday.
D.J. Augustin paced the Bulls with 23 points, while Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah each registered double-doubles for Chicago, which has alternated wins and losses in its last six games. Gibson had 17 points and 10 boards, while Noah added 14 points and 16 rebounds.
"We were coming from behind most of the time," Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau admitted. "We got away from the basket in the missed free-throws and we just turned the ball over."
Noah has grabbed 10 or more boards in 18 straight games.
Chicago and Sacramento split two meetings a season ago, but the Bulls have won five of six and eight of the last 10 matchups in this series. The Bulls, though, haven't fared so well in Sacramento lately, losing 10 of the last 14 visits there.
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