The Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets will both enjoy a brief respite before their Monday night showdown in North Carolina.
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The Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets will both enjoy a brief respite before their Monday night showdown in North Carolina, having had a few days of rest following their initial face-off in Chicago on Friday. The Bulls emerged victorious with a 104-91 win, marking the beginning of this back-to-back series.
Despite grappling with injuries, Chicago finds itself in a challenging phase. However, boasting a record of 16-21, the Bulls have managed to secure twice as many wins as the struggling Hornets, who stand at 8-25.
The game on Friday night stood out as a positive moment, and Coach Billy Donovan is eager to replicate that success, especially looking for a stellar performance from guard Coby White. In the previous matchup against his home-state team, White showcased his skills with an impressive 22 points, six assists, and 10 rebounds. The Bulls collectively displayed sharpshooting prowess, boasting a 54.1 percent field goal accuracy and distributing 29 assists on their 40 successful field goals.
For the Hornets, Ball (ankle injury), Hayward (calf injury), Ntilikina (leg injury), Washington (leg injury), and Williams (back injury) will not be playing the game. As for the Bulls, Ball (knee injury), Caruso (neck injury), and Craig (heel injury) will be sitting this one out. Besides, Bitim (broken nose) and Williams (ankle injury) are also questionable for the game.
However, there’s a particular aspect that the Bulls must address. In four instances this season, they’ve encountered the same team in back-to-back games and have yet to secure a victory in the second matchup. On a positive note for Chicago, Zach LaVine has made a comeback after a 17-game hiatus due to a foot injury, playing 30 minutes against Charlotte. Additionally, Nikola Vucevic returned to the court after sitting out for five games with a strained left adductor.
Attempting to shift their recent downturn, the Hornets may need to experiment with a revised lineup. P.J. Washington exited Friday night’s game due to an ankle injury, although Brandon Miller returned after missing one game with a hip ailment.
Miles Bridges, the Charlotte forward, continued his impressive scoring streak with 28 points on Friday, marking his third consecutive game with 25 or more points.
Despite Bridges’ efforts, the Bulls posed a significant challenge for the Hornets, causing them to match their second-lowest point total of the season. Chicago effectively contained Terry Rozier, limiting him to 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting, a notable contrast to his season average of 23.7 points.
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