{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
Charlotte 102, Chicago 96
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 5, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #9 Derrick Stafford, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 21770

CHICAGO -- Guard Nicolas Batum scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets held on for a 102-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Forward Cody Zeller added a season-high 17 points and eight rebounds for the Hornets. Guard Kemba Walker scored 17 points to help Charlotte (11-8) earn its sixth win in the past eight games.

Guard Jimmy Butler scored 25 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Bulls. Guard Derrick Rose scored 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Chicago (11-6) lost at home for only the second time in nine games this season.

The score was even at 94 before Charlotte pulled ahead in the final minute. Zeller made a pair of free throws to make it 96-94 with 1:01 remaining, and Walker hit a step back jump shot over Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic to increase the lead to 98-94 with 28.9 seconds left.

Both teams shot 41.6 percent (37-for-89) from the field.

The Bulls led 84-83 with less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Batum helped to swing momentum to Charlotte. The 6-foot-8 forward hit a trio of 3-pointers within a span of 2:03 to lift the Hornets to a 94-91 lead with 4:28 to go.

Bulls forward Doug McDermott evened the score at 94 with a 3-pointer with 2:09 remaining.

Chicago entered the fourth quarter with a 75-72 advantage. Charlotte led by five points early in the third quarter, but the Bulls responded with a 14-4 run to go ahead 71-66. Rose prompted the run with back-to-back drives to the rim and finished the third quarter with nine points in nine minutes.

The Hornets led 52-50 at halftime behind a balanced attack that included single-digit scoring from nine players. Chicago trailed by as many as nine points before gaining a 32-29 lead during a 10-0 run early in the second quarter. McDermott and guard E'Twaun Moore came off the bench to spark the rally by scoring eight consecutive points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Charlotte opened the game on a 12-3 run and held on for a 26-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. Walker led the Hornets with nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first 12 minutes.

NOTES: Bulls F Nikola Mirotic returned to the starting lineup Saturday after passing the league's concussion protocol before the game. Mirotic sustained a concussion and facial laceration Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets. ... Hornets C Al Jefferson missed his second consecutive game because of a strained left calf. ... Bulls F Pau Gasol appeared in his 1,000th career NBA game. Gasol became the 116th player in league history and the 14th active player to reach the milestone. ... Hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed his 19th consecutive game as he continues to recover from right shoulder surgery. ... Bulls G Kirk Hinrich was cleared to play after missing the previous two games because of a left hip pointer injury.
Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Chicago
Nicolas Batum 24 Scoring Jimmy Butler 25
Nicolas Batum 5 Assists Joakim Noah 6
Nicolas Batum 11 Rebounds Pau Gasol 11
Cody Zeller 5 Free Throws Made Jimmy Butler 8
Jeremy Lin 3 Steals Jimmy Butler 2
Nicolas Batum 1 Blocks Pau Gasol 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 102 41.6 10-34 18-25 23 50 3 10 10
Chicago 96 41.6 9-25 13-19 29 52 5 5 14
Upcoming Games
  • Chicago will play their next game at home against Phoenix. The Bulls have a W/L % of .500 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Hornets have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .667 after a loss.