The Chicago Bulls have shown the ability to bounce back following a rough patch. Their opponent on Monday, the host Charlotte Hornets, will try to respond from an even bigger slump.
The Bulls notched a 116-111 home victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, with Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey both scoring 23 points and Coby White pouring in 22. Giddey notched a triple-double (also 15 rebounds, 10 assists) to become the first Chicago player with multiple triple-doubles in a season since Jimmy Butler in 2016-17.
That outcome snapped a three-game losing streak and allowed the Bulls to avoid the team’s second four-game skid of the season. Two of the three defeats during the previous week had come by more than 20-point margins.
“We’re capable of beating anybody and we’ve shown we can lose to anyone and have terrible games,” Bulls guard Zach LaVine said.
Good decisions have led to desired results for the Bulls.
“That’s been our growth as a team,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We’ve got to differentiate from taking those (average percentage) shots and kicking it out.”
White, who’ll be back in his home state for the Charlotte game, has reached the 20-point mark only twice during the past month. Those have come in the last two games after he tallied 23 points Thursday at Atlanta.
The Hornets, who have lost seven in a row, are trying to find encouraging moments.
“There’s no quit in this team and there’s a ton of fight, which is what I love,” coach Charles Lee said. “That’s what it’s going to take. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us … you got to figure out how to reset and refocus.”
The Hornets have even more questions after leading scorers LaMelo Ball (left ankle, right wrist) and Brandon Miller (left ankle) sat out Saturday night’s 106-94 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ball rates fourth in the NBA with 30.1 points per game.
Both Ball and Miller were listed on the injury report as doubtful to play against Chicago.
Charlotte, 1-15 in its last 16 games, needs a boost as the team’s mood has been rather somber lately.
“Right now, we’re in a little bit of a slump,” center Mark Williams said. “For us, we just got to almost remember the feeling of winning again and just the joy that brings, the vibes, and continue to get that back. Right now, it’s almost like we’ve forgotten.”
Lee is preaching a form of patience.
“I think the message is we’ve got to be obsessed daily with improvement,” he said. “Some of the adversity is evident in life and in basketball.”
Chicago beat the visiting Hornets 109-95 on Dec. 13. Ayo Dosunmu’s 19 points led the Bulls, while Miller had a team-high 21 points for Charlotte, which played without Ball.
Dosunmu won’t be in uniform for Monday’s game. The Bulls announced that he will be evaluated in about 10 days because of a calf strain.
Chicago’s Lonzo Ball, the older brother of LaMelo, had 10 points in the previous matchup with the Hornets. That remains his season-high total.
The Bulls made a weekend roster move by signing forward Emanuel Miller and waiving guard DJ Steward. Miller had been with the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ G League team.
–Field Level Media
