Preview: Bulls at Hornets

[March 13, 2015]  In the midst of a busy stretch and already without several starters, Chicago hopes one of its key cogs can return to the lineup Friday in Charlotte. Joakim Noah sat out the Bulls' 104-95 overtime win in Philadelphia on Wednesday with left knee soreness, giving the team four of its top five players on the sidelines. Noah told reporters he hopes to return for Friday's game, which will be Chicago's sixth game in nine days, including four on the road.

Aaron Brooks stayed hot with a season-high 31 points in the victory over the 76ers as the Bulls snapped a three-game slide and left themselves in third place in the East, a game behind Cleveland entering Thursday night. The Hornets have also had plenty of developments on the injury front, as shooting guard Kemba Walker returned from a lengthy layoff in a 113-106 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday but center Al Jefferson left with a strained right calf. Charlotte has lost two in a row following a five-game winning streak and sits a half-game out of a playoff spot.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, WPWR-TV (Chicago), SportSouth (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE BULLS (40-26): The injuries to Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose, in particular, have allowed Brooks to emerge as one of the key figures of the Eastern Conference playoff race, as he is doing plenty to help Chicago stay afloat in this tough stretch. Brooks was 12-of-20 from the floor against the 76ers and hit 3-of-7 3-pointers, leaving him with a career-high 40.3 percent mark from beyond the arc. The veteran owns his best scoring average (11.2) since 2009-10 and is averaging 16.3 points in 30 minutes this month.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (28-35): Walker, who missed 18 games following knee surgery, had six points and two assists in 16 minutes in his return and will be eased back in slowly. The fact that Mo Williams - who is averaging 21.3 points in 11 games with Charlotte - has been so good gives head coach Steve Clifford some flexibility in that regard. As for Jefferson, he told Clifford he heard a pop in his right calf, a troubling development for a team bidding for a playoff berth and about to embark on a five-game road trip.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The teams have split the first two meetings with the road team winning both times.

2. Hornets SG Gerald Henderson had a career-high 11 assists in the loss to Sacramento.

3. Bulls C Pau Gasol has a league-high 43 double-doubles, which is tied for his career high.

PREDICTION: Bulls 97, Hornets 95

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