Short-handed Bulls can't stop Charlotte in 135-106 loss
On the 34th anniversary of Michael Jordan's Bulls debut, the team Jordan now owns showed how to exploit a leaky defense.
Beginning in the second quarter, Jordan's Charlotte Hornets scored at will against the Bulls, rolling to an easy 135-106 victory at the Spectrum Center on Friday. The home team shot 57 percent from the field.
Jordan scored a modest 16 points on Oct. 26, 1984 as the Bulls beat the Washington Bullets at the Stadium, but a star was born.
Current Bulls guard Zach LaVine was trying to keep up with Jordan, but LaVine's streak of 30-point games to start the season ended at four. LaVine scored 20 points, hitting 4 of 8 shots from 3-point range, but there was no reason for him to play in the fourth quarter.
Jordan was the only other Bulls player to open the season with four straight 30-point games and his streak reached six in 1986.
This was a game to forget for the Bulls. They led 25-23 after the first quarter, but Charlotte erupted for 45 points in the second quarter and the blowout began. This was the most point the Hornets have ever scored against the Bulls, both in a quarter and for the full game. The Bulls were outscored 112-81 in the second through fourth quarters.
"I know we are throwing a lot of makeshift lineups out there, but it is not an excuse to not go out there and play hard," coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after the game.
The Bulls are dealing with some tough circumstances, with four of their top 10 players sidelined by significant injuries. Lauri Markkanen (elbow) and Denzel Valentine (ankle) have been out since preseason.
Earlier this week, the Bulls lost two starters within three days, as Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis went down with MCL sprains in their knees. Both players are expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Hoiberg turned to rookie Chandler Hutchison to start in Portis' spot, choosing to leave Jabari Parker in his role as a catalyst for the second unit.
Parker produced 19 points on Friday, while Hutchison went scoreless in 28 minutes of action, but did grab 7 rebounds. Point guard Cameron Payne added 15 points.
This game featured the Bulls debut of guard Shaq Harrison, who was signed last week. Harrison played 14 minutes in the second half, producing 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Hornets guard Kemba Walker had his lowest-scoring game of the season (23 points) on Wednesday at the United Center. He fixed that performance by scoring 30 in the rematch, hitting 11 of 18 shots from the field. Charlotte ended up with eight players scoring in double figures.
It will be interesting to see how the Bulls (1-4) bounce back, because they'll play their first back-to-back of the season on Saturday in Atlanta.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, 6:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Outlook: The Hawks opened the season with lopsided losses at New York and Memphis, making it seem like the tank was rumbling at full speed. But they turned it around quickly with wins over Cleveland and Dallas. Rookie PG Trae Young is firing away as expected and averaging 21.5 points. SF Taurean Prince has been the more effective shooter and leads the Hawks at 21.8 ppg. SG Kent Bazemore is averaging 18.0 points, while Atlanta is trying to turn former Suns C Alex Len (9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds) into a useful player. The Bulls went 3-0 last year against the Hawks, who are playing in the same renovated arena with a new name.
Next: Golden State Warriors at the United Center on Monday, 7 p.m.
- Mike McGraw