Hornets Top Bulls, Secure Winning Season for First Time Since 2015-16

The Hornets move to 42-39 on the season.

CHICAGO, IL - In a very important game, the Charlotte Hornets showed up and then some by demolishing the Chicago Bulls 133-117 fueled by a hot night shooting the ball. The win also gives the Hornets its first winning season since 2015-16.

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets came out firing on all cylinders hitting shot after shot to open up the game. As a team, the Hornets made their first 11 shots from the field with the first miss not coming until the 4:40 mark. Ball in particular had the touch notching 13 of the team's first 17 points. He finished the half with 24 points on 8/12 shooting, including 5/7 from three-point range.

Despite the Hornets' hot start offensively, they only led by nine heading into the second quarter. Chicago went 13/20 from the field doing most of their damage in the paint or in mid-range.

For the third straight game, Jalen McDaniels provided a spark off the bench for the Hornets. He has been a disrupter on the defensive end of late, but tonight he had it going offensively with __ points.

In the third quarter, Montrezl Harrell tied a franchise record with 11 straight made field goals which dated back to Thursday's win over Orlando. A missed mid-range jumper kept him from breaking Anthony Mason's record. 

Alongside Harrell and McDaniels, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Cody Martin also finished in double figures giving the Hornets four players to do so off the bench. After a torrid start, Ball cooled down considerably and did not score a single point in the second half. Fortunately for Charlotte, the game was well in hand.

Now, the Hornets will have an opportunity to move up to the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a win over the Washington Wizards in the regular season finale on Sunday inside Spectrum Center. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. EST.

BOX SCORE

CHA: 39-40-32-22-133

CHI: 30-21-32-34-117

TEAM STATS (ACCUMULATIVE)

1st

CHA: 15/20 FG | 5/8 3FG | 6 REB | 16 PIP | 3 TOs

CHI: 13/20 FG | 1/3 3FG | 5 REB | 18 PIP | 5 TOs

2nd

CHA: 30/45 FG | 11/21 3FG | 18 REB | 34 PIP | 3 TOs

CHI: 18/36 FG | 5/12 3FG | 11 REB | 20 PIP | 8 TOs

3rd

CHA: 43/65 FG | 15/28 3FG | 26 REB | 52 PIP | 6 TOs

CHI: 32/61 FG | 8/17 3FG | 21 REB | 34 PIP | 10 TOs

4th

CHA: 52/86 FG | 19/40 3FG | 38 REB | 62 PIP | 11 TOs

CHI: 44/82 FG | 13/24 3FG | 31 REB | 48 PIP | 12 TOs

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