Kemba Walker dropped 31 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Chicago Bulls for the first time this season.
The Charlotte Hornets (28-33) were able to defeat the Chicago Bulls (20-41) as they picked up their fifth straight win. The dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard combined to score 55 points as they led the Hornets to victory. They are now 4-0 post-All-Star Break.
Julyan Stone was a healthy scratch for Charlotte in this one. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist picked up a hamstring injury in the first half and was not able to return while Cody Zeller left the game with left knee soreness. Dwight Howard sat out the second quarter with a back strain but returned for the second half.
Game Story
After being outscored 29-26 in the first quarter, the Hornets turned things around and outscored the Bulls in the second, third and fourth periods. The turning point came in the third quarter when Charlotte went on a 20-8 run and eventually pushed their lead to as much as 17 points in the fourth quarter. This game featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes. The difference was Chicago’s inability to take care of the ball as they committed 21 turnovers compared to only 14 for the Queen City team.
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Player of the Game
Kemba Walker finished with a game-high 31 points to go along with five assists and three steals. Although he did commit six turnovers, the all-star point guard made up for it shooting 57.9% (11-19) from the field and 60% (6-10) from beyond the arc. He also recorded his 11th 30-point game of the season.
Dwight Howard added 24 points on 10-12 shooting, six rebounds and five blocked shots in this one. Jeremy Lamb led Charlotte’s second unit as he scored 15 points off of the bench while Marvin Williams put up 14 points. Frank Kaminsky had 11 points and Nicolas Batum recorded his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 assists.
The Bulls were led by Zach LaVine who ended the game with 21 points, four boards and four assists. Denzel Valentine scored 14 while Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio each had 12 points. David Nwabe and rookie Lauri Markkanen both put up 11 points while Kris Dunn rounded out Chicago’s double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
CHA’s winning streak reaches five games with the win tonight but it might be short lived with trips to BOS (tomorrow) PHI and TOR #Hornets.
— SportsFromMyEyes (@JustinThomasNBA) February 28, 2018
"Quick Stings"
- Dwight scored 20+ points for the 22nd time this season.
- Batum recorded a season-high 12 assists.
- Kemba made 5+ three’s for the ninth game this campaign.
- Charlotte picked up four technical fouls in the game and Howard got his 13th of the season.
- The Hornets shot 42.9% (15-35) from three while holding the Bulls to only 37.5% (9-24) from deep.
With the win, Charlotte improved to 1-2 in their season series against Chicago. These two sides will meet once more in the Windy City on April 3rd. The Hornets snapped a four-game regular season losing streak to the Bulls that dated back to last season.
Next: Rumor: Hornets, Knicks discussed Malik Monk trade
In their next game, the Hornets will hit the road to take on the Boston Celtics in the second night of a back-to-back. It will be the first outing of a three-game road trip and Charlotte’s third and final meeting versus Boston this season. Steve Clifford’s side will look extend their win streak to six games while also picking up their first victory against the Celtics this year.