Preview: Hornets at Bulls

[February 25, 2015]  The Chicago Bulls will try to continue their surge when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, but they won't have star point guard Derrick Rose. The Bulls have won two straight and six of seven to surge to third in the Eastern Conference, but they announced late Tuesday that Rose needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Hornets have slipped out of the top eight in the East with five straight losses, but they're only a game behind eighth-place Brooklyn and 1 1/2 back of seventh-place Miami.

It was ugly at the offensive end for the Bulls in their 87-71 win over Milwaukee on Monday, especially for Rose, who was limited to eight points on 1-of-13 shooting in continuing a recent offensive slump. He reported pain in the right knee a day later and had an MRI, which revealed the tear. The Hornets have lost three straight at Chicago and dropped the first meeting this season, 102-95 in Charlotte on Dec. 3.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE HORNETS (22-32): Charlotte dealt for Mo Williams to take over the point with Kemba Walker (knee) sidelined. Williams has led the team in scoring in each of his first two games since being acquired from Minnesota, but it hasn't helped the Hornets snap their skid. Active leading scorer Al Jefferson (17.2 points, 8.8 rebounds) grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds against the Mavericks in a 92-81 loss on Sunday but struggled to eight points on 4-of-16 shooting.

ABOUT THE BULLS (36-21): Chicago has grown accustomed to life without Rose, who missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries, and the Bulls have been able to get by without him at his best this season. That's largely thanks to Jimmy Butler (20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (18.3 points, 12.1 rebounds), but it was reserves Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic who bailed out the Bulls against Milwaukee. Snell scored 20 points and Mirotic collected 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Hornets have been one of the top defensive teams in the league since Jan. 1 but have allowed more than 100 points in three of their past four games.

2. Gasol has recorded double-doubles in 21 of his last 24 games.

3. Charlotte has lost eight games in which it led after three quarters and 11 in which it led at the half.

PREDICTION: Bulls 99, Hornets 91

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