Preview: Bulls at Hornets

[December 23, 2016]  The Chicago Bulls appeared to right the ship with one of their most impressive performances on both ends in a 113-82 win over Detroit on Monday but went right back into the loss column by falling to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Bulls will try to ride the rollercoaster back up the hill when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Chicago looked terrible during a three-game slide only to look brilliant against the Pistons but fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Wizards. "We got to continue to work on our fourth-quarter execution," Bulls guard Dwyane Wade told reporters. "It's no secret at all. We stay in constant communication of what we can do. But it's just going to have to be some work in progress." The Hornets are on the upswing with back-to-back wins following a four-game slide but needed to overcome a 17-point deficit to edge the Los Angeles Lakers 117-113 on Tuesday. "We gave up 41 points in the first quarter, but we did a lot better allowing 40 in the second half," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "And that was really the story. That and the big plays."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE BULLS (14-14): Chicago star Jimmy Butler needed only seven field goal attempts to score 19 points in Monday's win but used 20 shots to get to 20 points in a tougher performance on Wednesday. "We put a lot of pressure on Jimmy in the fourth quarter to make a lot of plays because we're running just one action," Wade told reporters. "So, we've got to get more action, more body movement. ... We're asking the young guy to make every shot he takes with bodies in front of him, step-backs and all these things. That's not necessarily the easiest thing to do." Butler is shooting 33.3 percent from the floor in the Bulls' last four losses.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (16-13): Charlotte relies on point guard Kemba Walker, who slumped during the four-game slide and sat out last Friday's 96-88 setback at Boston before returning and raising his game in the last two contests. Walker delivered 18 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a 107-99 triumph at Atlanta on Saturday and contributed 28 points, 10 assists and eight boards in Tuesday's win. The Hornets are always searching for a solid second scoring option and shooting guard Nicolas Batum took on that role with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 10 assists on Tuesday to snap out of his own funk after going 9-of-32 from the floor in the previous two contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets reserve SG Marco Belinelli is 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the last two games and is shooting 45.3 percent from beyond the arc on the season.

2. Chicago PF Taj Gibson is 16-of-20 from the floor in the last two games.

3. Charlotte took three of four in the series last season and took the two meetings at home by a total of 42 points.

PREDICTION: Hornets 105, Bulls 101

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