South Charlotte Today

The Charlotte Hornets faced a challenging game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, resulting in a 109-95 loss at the United Center. Despite returning two injured players to their lineup after a four-day break, the Hornets struggled offensively.

Brandon Miller extended his streak of 20-point games to 12, scoring 21 points despite shooting difficulties and committing seven turnovers. Mark Williams made his first start of the season, contributing 15 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes.

Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu led with 19 points as all five starters scored in double figures. Josh Giddey nearly achieved a triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.

The game's turning point came when Chicago overcame a first-quarter deficit to lead by halftime. The Hornets matched their number of baskets with turnovers and had poor shooting percentages throughout the game.

Charlotte's attempts to keep pace with Chicago's fast-paced play led to low shooting accuracy, setting season lows in field-goal and three-point percentages. The Bulls capitalized on long misses for offensive rebounds despite being one of the league's weaker teams in that area.

Miles Bridges returned from injury with 14 points, while rookie Tidjane Salaün added eight points and six rebounds.

Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee commented on the lack of consistency: "Early in the game, I thought we had a really good process on our early offensive possessions. We had some great looks, didn’t knock them down and [the Bulls] hit some shots."

Looking ahead, the Hornets will face the Philadelphia 76ers at home on Monday night.