The Sacramento Kings came out with energy and poise for 48 minutes in their season opener against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough to come away with the win as they fell, 93-87.

Chicago led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter after Joakim Noah's free throw. But the Kings were able to pull within three in the fourth quarter before the Bulls put them away for good.

Tyreke Evans appeared ready to build on a strong 2011-2012 campaign and led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-13 from the field while adding seven rebounds and three assists.

Noah was too much for the Kings to handle. The Bulls center, not normally known for his offense, led all scorers with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocked shots on 6-of-12 shooting, including 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Demarcus Cousins added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Marcus Thornton was solid off the bench for Sacramento, adding 15 points of his own.

The Kings will next travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Friday night.