Lonzo Ball, Bulls Defeat LaMelo Ball, Hornets Behind Nikola Vucevic's Massive Game
The Chicago Bulls bounced back from Saturday's three-point loss to the Miami Heat with a 133-119 win at home over the Charlotte Hornets. Nikola Vucevic had a team-high 30 points and 14 rebounds as Chicago improved to 14-8.
DeMar DeRozan added 28 points, Zach LaVine had 25 points and Lonzo Ball chipped in 16 points and eight assists.
It's just the second win in the last five games for the Bulls, who started the season 6-1 but have since had trouble remaining consistent.
The Hornets fell to 13-10 after their second straight loss. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 31 points, while Gordon Hayward had 22 points and LaMelo Ball added 18 points and 13 assists.
Notable Player Stats
C Nikola Vucevic, CHI: 30 points (6-of-6 3-pt FG), 14 rebounds
G DeMar DeRozan, CHI: 28 points
G Zach LaVine, CHI: 25 points
G Lonzo Ball, CHI: 16 points, 8 assists
G Terry Rozier, CHA: 31 points
G Gordon Hayward, CHA: 22 points
G LaMelo Ball, CHA: 18 points, 13 assists
Bulls' Hot Shooting Puts Hornets Away
Chicago had its best offensive performance of the season through the first three quarters of Monday's game. The Bulls scored at least 30 points and outscored the Hornets in each of them.
Early on, the game was very competitive as the teams traded leads back and forth. The game was tied at 54 with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter before Chicago went on a 15-4 run heading into halftime, capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Vucevic.
The Bulls continued to pour it on and led by as many as 23 in the third quarter. LaVine had 12 points in the frame. Chicago shot over 70 percent from the field in both the second and third quarters.
But the Hornets refused to go away and cut the lead to four in the fourth quarter. Chicago was able to withstand the run and regained control of the game with a balanced attack.
It was another efficient performance for Chicago, which came into the game ranked sixth in the NBA with a field-goal percentage of 46.4 percent. Vucevic, LaVine, DeRozan, Ball and Alex Caruso (14 points) each converted on over 50 percent of their shots.
The Bulls might not be able to duplicate Monday's shooting performance in every game this season, but the team should surely have a boost in confidence going forward after finishing the game shooting 59.6 percent.
Hornets' Defense Falters as Comeback Falls Short
Charlotte could've packed it in after going down by 23 in the third quarter, but the team refused to give up and made things interesting down the stretch.
Charlotte was able to slow down the hot-shooting Chicago offense by switching to a zone defense in the fourth quarter. The lead was cut to 110-106, but the Hornets couldn't complete the comeback as the Bulls ended the game on a 23-13 run.
Charlotte would have had a better chance if it had switched to the zone earlier in the second half. The Bulls have struggled against zone defenses this season, and it was a key reason for the Hornets' comeback in the fourth quarter. But when Chicago started to pick up the tempo and get out in transition, Charlotte couldn't hold off the easy baskets.
The Hornets have been one of the better offensive teams in the league this season. But Charlotte will have to figure out who it wants to be on defense if it hopes to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.
What's Next?
The Bulls will enjoy a couple of days off before traveling to face the New York Knicks on Thursday. The Hornets will take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in the third contest of a four-game road trip.
