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National Basketball Association
Chicago 123, Charlotte 110
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 22, 2021
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #38 Michael Smith, #89 Dannica Mosher
Attendance: N/A

Zach LaVine scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls posted their first three-game winning streak of the season by defeating the host Charlotte Hornets 123-110 on Friday night.

Lauri Markkanen poured in 23 points for the Bulls, who shot 51.6 percent from the field. Markkanen was 10-for-17 and LaVine 8-for-12. LaVine, who entered the game averaging 27.4 points, made all six of his foul shots.

Bulls guard Coby White, who was held scoreless Sunday at Dallas and then shot 4-for-12 in a 10-point outing the next day at Houston, made a 3-pointer on his first attempt Friday on his way to 18 points in a return to his home state.

Gordon Hayward posted 34 points and Devonte' Graham scored a season-high 24 points for the Hornets, who hadn't played since Saturday. Charlotte lost its fourth game in a row.

P.J. Washington added 16 points and Terry Rozier had 10 points for Charlotte, which couldn't overcome 20 turnovers -- all within the first three quarters.

Both teams had longer-than-usual layoffs, with Charlotte's gap caused by the postponement of a scheduled Wednesday game vs. Washington due to the Wizards' coronavirus issues.

Bulls reserves notched 46 points, led by Garrett Temple's 15 and Otto Porter Jr.'s 13.

Chicago led 61-53 at halftime, aided by LaVine's 15 points and the team's 38-16 edge in points in the paint. Graham had 22 points in the first half, but backcourt mate Rozier was scoreless.

The Hornets trailed 95-83 going into the final quarter. Hayward's 17 third-quarter points helped Charlotte stay within range.

Charlotte was within 103-97 before Markkanen's 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. That came when the Hornets went into a stretch of 0-for-7 shooting from the field.

Chicago was without starting post player Wendell Carter Jr. because of a thigh bruise.

Hornets center Cody Zeller played for the first time since the opener, when he sustained a broken hand. He scored five points in 11 minutes off the bench.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   Charlotte
Zach LaVine 25 Scoring Gordon Hayward 34
Zach LaVine 9 Assists Devonte' Graham 6
Otto Porter Jr. 7 Rebounds Bismack Biyombo 10
Zach LaVine 6 Free Throws Made Gordon Hayward 8
Garrett Temple 4 Steals LaMelo Ball 2
Daniel Gafford 2 Blocks P.J. Washington 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Chicago 123 51.0 15-43 10-12 33 43 4 11 16
Charlotte 110 49.4 7-32 19-25 22 46 1 8 21
Upcoming Games
  • Charlotte will play their next game on the road against Orlando. The Hornets have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .222 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game at home against L.A. Lakers. The Bulls have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .375 after a loss.