Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings Takeaways: A Win with a Wild Finish

Jan 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Wade Steps Up

Wade can still really dominate NBA basketball games, and that is great to see for Bulls fans.

The 35-year-old turned back the clock just a few days after his birthday. Wade scored 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting. He also filled up the rest of the stat sheet. Wade grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. More impressively, he had three steals and an eye-popping four blocked shots, which included a crazy close out on a 3-point shooter near the end of the fourth quarter.

Wade’s night was also remarkable because he took over for Butler in the leading role of “Mr. Get to the Stripe.” The Bulls shooting guard got to the line 15 times, missing only three. On a night when the Bulls need to beat a Kings team short on talent, aside from Cousins, Wade made sure his team wasn’t going to lose.

Wade had it going from the opening tip. He attacked the rim, and mixed in some vintage turnaround jump shots. Wade had back-to-back assists to Mirotic in the second quarter to help spark the Bulls. And he finished the first half with 13 points.

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Some of the biggest plays down the stretch involved the Chicago native. He tipped in a Butler miss on a fast break layup attempt late in the second half. He was also involved in two of the biggest plays of the game, both of which also featured Cousins.

Wade made a strip at the top of the key with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, and on the break it looked like he was set to secure a big win for the Bulls. But the veteran guard missed a two-handed dunk attempt. Luckily for him and Chicago, Cousins was called for an awful foul. After making only one of two foul shots, to put his team up by one point, it once again came down to Wade and the Kings superstar.

Wade helped secure a huge Bulls home win with his stellar defense all night long. He also made sure to get his teammates involved. It was a throwback night for Wade, and it was certainly needed.

Now on to everyone’s favorite young German.