The Charlotte Hornets won their second game in as many nights as they were victorious against the Chicago Bulls by a score of 133-117. LaMelo Ball led the way for the Hornets with 24 points, including 15 in the opening quarter as Charlotte opened a nine-point lead. The second quarter would also belong to the Hornets as they outscored the Bulls 40-21 in the second frame to take a 79-51 lead into halftime. The Hornets were able to maintain their lead after halftime as Chicago never pulled closer than 15 points in the second half.
The bench was a major factor for Charlotte as they contributed 59 points, tied for the third-most bench points for the Hornets this season. Kelly Oubre, Montrezl Harrell, Jalen McDaniels, and Cody Martin all scored in double-figures. Oubre’s 18 points were his fourth-most in a the 21 games since the All-Star break, while McDaniels’ 13 points were his most since December 27th against the Houston Rockets.
Charlotte had their best shooting night of the season as they shot 60.5% from the field, which also marks the second-highest shooting percentage allowed by the Bulls this season. Charlotte’s 133 points is the third-most points allowed by Chicago this year. The first half set the tone as Charlotte’s 79 points was their third-most in a half this season and also was the most allowed by Chicago in any half this year.
The Hornets return to Charlotte for their season finale on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Wizards. Washington will be without Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Charlotte’s postseason seeding is still uncertain and could shift depending on the outcome of Sunday’s slate of games.