After returning home from a disheartening East Coast road swing, the Kings wasted no time in getting back on track.
Sacramento squared off with the Chicago Bulls for a Sunday matinee at Golden 1 Center and dominated 129-102.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and gave the squad some much-needed momentum.
The W was not only important for the playoff push, but it also marked the first time since the 2007-08 season that Sactown had eclipsed the 33-win mark.
Sitting six games back from the eighth seed with only 13 games to play, every contest counts from here on out.
“It’s a little bit relieving – whether we talk about it or not, it feels like every game is a must win coming out of the break,” said Joerger. “And just to have a little bit of mental relief I think is good for us at this point in the season.”
It was a full team effort for the Kings, as five players notched 15 or more points. Bagley led the way with another impressive effort of 21 points and nine rebounds.
Fellow rookie big man Harry Giles III also made his mark, stuffing the stat sheet with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
“They’ve gotten better every single game,” said De’Aaron Fox when asked about the front court of Bagley and Giles. “You see it now and you saw it a little bit at the beginning of the year when they showed flashes.”
Now Fox and the Duke duo look to take on the upstart Brooklyn Nets led by their All-Star point guard D'Angelo Russell on Tuesday night.