To begin the game, the defense was nonexistent for both clubs. For the Kings specifically, they allowed the Bulls to score 31 points in the quarter while shooting 13-22 (59%) from the floor. If it were not for Zach Randolph starting the game strong with 11 points in the period, Sacramento would have found themselves in a huge deficit early.
The second quarter remained the same. Both defenses were still playing sluggish which resulted in a high-scoring half. Fortunately for the Kings, their offense was a little bit more efficient than the Bulls which gave them the 62-61 lead going into halftime.