One key to Charlotte’s recent surge has been the boost off the bench
provided by guards Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb. The two combined for
31 points on 13-of-21 shooting before fellow reserve Cody Zeller hit
the game-winner in Wednesday’s 95-93 win over the New York Knicks
and are picking up the slack while Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson
struggle. The Bulls have won two of three since the loss to the
Hornets and have been off since rolling past Philadelphia 111-88 on
Monday. Nikola Mirotic broke out of a slump with 20 points and 10
rebounds in the win after just barely hanging onto his starting
spot.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), CSN Chicago
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ABOUT THE HORNETS (4-4): The two Jeremys combined for 35 points on
13-of-18 shooting in the win over the Bulls and are averaging a
combined 28.4 points over the last five games. Those two and Zeller
combined for nearly as many minutes (70) on Wednesday as starters
P.J. Hairston, Walker and Jefferson (76), who shot 6-of-29 from the
field. Jefferson is averaging 8.7 points in the last three games
while Walker is 6-of-23 from the field in the last two and Hairston
has been held to five points or fewer in each of the last four
contests.
ABOUT THE BULLS (5-3): Mirotic was expected to head to the bench
with Joakim Noah drawing his first start of the season before Noah
(left knee soreness) decided he could not play minutes before the
game due to knee soreness. "I wasn't expecting it,” Noah told
reporters. "I've been feeling great up to this point, and it just
happened. I don't think it's too serious, but it was definitely a
situation where I had to be smart. I wanted to play (Monday) really
bad." Noah has been limited at practice this week but is hopeful of
playing on Friday.
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BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bulls G Kirk Hinrich (toe) sat out the last four games and is
questionable to return on Friday.
2. Lamb is leading the Hornets in field-goal percentage (58.8) and
is shooting 46.2 percent from 3-point range.
3. Charlotte has taken three of the last four meetings but Chicago
won the last matchup at home, 98-86 on Mar. 23.
PREDICTION: Bulls 102, Hornets 96
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