Charlotte Hornets battle Chicago Bulls in second game of back-to-back
Back-to-back series haven’t been kind to the Charlotte Hornets this season. Can they finish this one on the right note with a win over the Chicago Bulls?
As long as the NBA grind is, it can be hard when you have to play games on consecutive days. The Charlotte Hornets (25-26) will have completed seven such series after their next game on Saturday. That might sound like a lot, but the Hornets only have 13 back-to-backs this season, so they’re over halfway finished with those scenarios.
Their next consecutive game is against the Chicago Bulls (12-40). They’ve already played the Bulls twice this season, with both teams winning their respective home games. The game in Chicago was a close loss, decided by two points, but the game in Charlotte was a blowout win, with that final score being 135-106.
Charlotte’s last game was a 100-92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. They are 7th in the Eastern Conference. Chicago’s last contest was a 105-89 win over the Miami Heat. They are 13th in the East. This will be the final game against the Bulls this season.
Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls
7:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, February 2nd, 2019
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Cody Zeller – Hand (Out)
CHI:
Wayne Selden Jr. – Knee (Probable)
Zach LaVine – Ankle (Questionable)
Chandler Hutchison – Toe (Out)
Wendell Carter Jr. – Thumb (Out)
Denzel Valentine – Ankle (Out)
Things to watch for:
Obviously, injuries will play a role for the Bulls in this one. Charlotte would do well to take advantage.
Despite their woeful record, Chicago actually has more wins on the road than at home. Hopefully, Charlotte doesn’t come out lackadaisical as they tend to do at times.
The Hornets shot 57% from the floor in their last match-up against the Bulls. I’m sure fans would love a repeat of that.
Keys to the game:
This will be Charlotte’s second straight game against a very low scoring team. Their last opponent, Memphis, is dead last in the league in scoring, and the Bulls are right there with them, next to last.
That didn’t stop the Hornets from going as much as 13 points down against the hapless Grizzlies, so they need to make sure they come out with an intensity on both ends of the floor. Fans really don’t want to have losing the season series to the Chicago Bulls on the team’s resume.
Chicago ranks last in the NBA in personal fouls drawn, yet the Hornets allowed the Bulls to shoot 22 free-throws in their last contest. Charlotte shot 16 from the line themselves, so the discrepancy wasn’t too bad, but the Hornets are usually more disciplined than that.
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The Charlotte Hornets have a very good chance to get back to .500 on the season with this game. If they remain consistent on offense and avoid letting the Bulls hang around, they can come out with a much-needed win at home. We’ll see if they can get the job done Saturday night in the Queen City.