Josh Giddey scored 26 points, including six in the final 90 seconds, as the Chicago Bulls came back to beat the host Charlotte Hornets 129-126 on Friday night, ending a seven-game losing streak.
Coby White poured in 20 points and reserves Zach Collins and Patrick Williams each scored 16 points for the Bulls, who avenged a loss in the same building from two weeks earlier. Giddey added 11 assists and seven rebounds in an all-around effort.
Isaac Okoro had 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, Nikola Vucevic posted 13 points and Matas Buzelis added 10 points.
Kon Knueppel racked up 33 points and nine assists and Miles Bridges scored 20 of his 32 points in the first half for the Hornets, who’ve lost four of their last five games. Brandon Miller notched 18 points, Sion James provided 14 points in a reserve role and Ryan Kalkbrenner and KJ Simpson both notched 10 points.
Guard LaMelo Ball remained out of the Hornets’ lineup because of an ankle injury. Team rebounding leader Moussa Diabate was back for Charlotte, though he had only two points and three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.
The Hornets built a 10-point first-half lead and were up 61-55 at the break behind the scoring from Bridges and Knueppel, who had combined for 37 points. Charlotte’s 88-75 lead evaporated under the weight of Chicago’s 13-2 spurt late in the third quarter.
Back-to-back baskets from Collins and Giddey gave the Bulls a 116-113 lead and they held a slim edge the rest of the way. White made two free throws with 8.2 seconds left to stretch the lead to 129-124 before Knueppel’s basket in the final second.
Giddey shot 10-for-17 from the floor as he led the Bulls in scoring for the sixth time in a seven-game stretch. Chicago made 55.9% of its shots (52 of 93).
The Hornets shot 52.6% from the field (51 of 97), but they were hurt by the Bulls’ 44-31 edge in rebounding.
Knueppel and Bridges combined for nine of Charlotte’s 16 baskets from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
