Strong Fourth Quarter Lifts Hornets Past Bulls

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward returned to the lineup tonight for the Hornets and although they didn't have their best games, they helped Charlotte past the Chicago Bulls Thursday night, 111-96. 

Terry Rozier was feeling it early picking up 14 points in the first quarter. However, he went scoreless in the second, missing all four shots from the field. He wasn't the only one that couldn't make a shot, though. Pretty much everyone on the floor went ice cold. The two teams went a combined 14/47 from the field (29%) and 1/20 (.05%) from three. 

Considering the Hornets went 8/41 (19%) from deep over the last two games, you would have thought their approach would have been much different coming into this one. Instead, they fell in love with the three and the struggles continued.

Chicago didn't play all that well in the first half either and missed several opportunities at the rim and in the paint, but took advantage of some of Charlotte's turnovers, allowing them to carry a 55-47 lead into the locker room.

The Bulls pushed that lead out to ten midway through the third but the Hornets stormed back with a 12-0 run thanks to really good defensive effort by Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee. Rozier had two steals and six points during that stretch and Plumlee forced a bad pass and made two shots at the rim.

LaMelo struggled for much of the night missing several shots and turning it over at an alarming rate. But he came through with three at the line and then three from way downtown during Charlotte's 10-1 run to take a 97-88 lead midway through the fourth. 

The Bull couldn't buy a shot, going 5/25 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Rozier and Plumlee helped put the game away for the Hornets.

The Hornets will have the next two days off before hosting the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. EST.

1ST: CHI 36-32

CHI: 15/23 FG | 3/5 3FG | 9 REB | 7 AST | 2 TO | 18 PIP

CHA: 11/21 FG | 5/13 3FG | 8 REB | 9 AST | 3 TO | 12 PIP

2ND: CHI 55-47

CHI: 23/48 FG | 4/15 3FG | 24 REB | 11 AST | 6 TO | 30 PIP

CHA: 17/43 FG | 5/23 3FG | 25 REB | 13 AST | 11 TO | 24 PIP

3RD: CHI 79-77

CHI: 32/66 FG | 4/19 3FG | 35 REB | 15 AST | 12 TO | 44 PIP

CHA: 29/66 FG | 5/25 3FG | 34 REB | 18 AST | 13 TO | 46 PIP

4TH: CHA wins 111-96

CHI: 37/91 FG | 4/25 3FG | 43 REB | 16 AST | 13 TO | 54 PIP

CHA: 39/84 FG | 7/32 3FG | 52 REB | 23 AST | 16 TO | 58 PIP

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