Hornets clash with Bulls in Sunday matinee in Uptown Charlotte

Can the Hornets win their 20th game of the season versus Chicago?

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: QUESTIONABLE - Nick Smith Jr (L Ankle), Mark Williams (Thoracic Muscle Spasm), OUT - LaMelo Ball (R Ankle), Brandon Miller (R Wrist), Grant Williams (R ACL), Tre Mann (Disc Herniation), Damion Baugh (L Hip), Josh Green (L Shoulder)

Bulls: PROBABLE - Dalen Terry (Illness), QUESTIONABLE - Lonzo Ball (R Wrist), OUT - Ayo Dosunmu (L Shoulder), Tre Jones (L Foot)

Game Preview:

The Hornets have had undeniably a very rough season with just 19 wins with five games remaining. On the other hand, their opponent the Chicago Bulls, has begun figuring things out as of late.

The Bulls have won six out of their past eight games with a huge win over the Lakers just a little over a week ago. A huge reason for their success has been the play of Josh Giddey who has been putting up simply unreal statlines.

In that eight-game stretch, Giddey is averaging a triple-double with numbers of 17.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. Other key contributors for the Bulls have been Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Nikola Vucevic, and Matas Buzelis.

The Hornets don't have anything to play for currently, except some losses to keep their chances as high as possible for the draft lottery. Although they don't have much to play for, they do have some things to look forward to heading into this matchup.

Those things to look for have to do with the Hornets' youth, who have recently been rewarded with more playing time as the season nears an end. Moussa Diabate, Tidjane Salaün, and KJ Simpson all tallied double-figure scoring totals in their last game and are expected to play heavy minutes in this one as well.

This matchup will be a look at the two lottery picks of Tidjane Salaün and Matas Buzelis. In Salaün's last 10 games, he's averaging 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Buzelis is averaging 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in his last ten.

Unlike the Hornets' situation, every game matters for Chicago, as they currently sit in the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference just one game back of the 8th-seeded Atlanta Hawks.

Key Matchup: Josh Giddey versus Hornets

Josh Giddey has had his way with the Hornets in recent history, especially in his tenure with the Bulls. He's been playing the best basketball of his career while pushing the Bulls closer in the playoff race. With KJ Simpson starting, it may be a tough task for him to contain Giddey, especially with all of the shooting around Giddey in the starting lineup.

If the Hornets want any opportunity of potentially upsetting the Chicago Bulls, they're going to have to shield Giddey from making big plays, whether that's with his playmaking or his ability to get downhill.

Projected Starting Lineups

Position	Charlotte Hornets	Chicago Bulls
Point Guard	KJ Simpson	Josh Giddey
Shooting Guard	Seth Curry	Coby White
Small Forward	DaQuan Jeffries	Kevin Huerter
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Matas Buzelis
Center	Jusuf Nurkic	Nikola Vucevic

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