The Sacramento Kings will close out their road trip on Wednesday night as they face the Chicago Bulls in their first meeting of the season.

The last time these two teams met things looked quite different, nearing the end of last season what used to be an Eastern Conference oversight as become a sleeping giant and a serious contender thanks to stellar defense and a historic run from their first-year Bull.

Chicago boasts an MVP-candidate in a white-hot DeMar DeRozan, who at this moment in time is averaging numbers on a shooting percentage that hasn’t been done since Wilt Chamberlain did it. To say he’s in elite company is less than a stretch, as the mid-range, stop and pop All-Star has been on a tear in the month of February scoring nearly 35 points per game.

The goal in this game will be to emphasize heavily on defense early. Remaining active without getting into foul trouble is the name of the game, as the Kings have had trouble winning when they get into the bonus before halftime. With the newest addition of Damontis Sabonis, it will be interesting to see how he matches up with his former Eastern Conference foes. There might be something to seeing a team four times in a regular season versus just two.

Chicago remains without Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have been a staple in the team’s new defensive identity. The Kings will need to assert themselves from the jump and do what they can in retaining DeRozan to bring a win back to Sactown.

How to Watch/Listen: NBC Sports California, Sports 1140 KHTK

Opposing Perspective: Blog a Bull

SAC injuries/absences: Terence Davis – Out (Wrist)

MIN injuries/absences: Lonzo Ball – Out (Knee), Alex Caruso – Out (Wrist), Zach LaVine – Out (Knee), Patrick Williams – Out (Wrist)