Mike McGraw’s game tracker

Bulls 85, Hornets 77

Surviving the grind: A day after beating Miami, the Bulls pulled out a defensive battle against New Orleans, which played without all-star guard Chris Paul. He suffered a concussion in a collision during Sunday’s game at Cleveland.

Rose connects: Derrick Rose’s string of 19 consecutive missed shots from 3-point range finally came to an end in the third quarter. Rose finished with 24 points and 9 assists, while Carlos Boozer added 17 points.

Stinging loss: In their special Mardi Gras uniforms, the short-handed Hornets put up a tough fight. “Without Chris, we did what we came here to do and that was have a chance to get one,” forward David West said. “We couldn’t convert.”