PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Eastern Conference Game of the Month >> 16-7-1 Past 24 NBA!
(NBA) Charlotte vs. Chicago,
Point Spread: 0.00 | -110.00 Charlotte (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 0.00 | -110.00 Charlotte (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 19-15 Charlotte Hornets are in Chicago to take on the 16-18 Bulls. The Hornets have won the last three in this series and after seeing his team drop eight of 11, Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg may be sitting on the 'hottest' coaching seat in the NBA.
Charlotte: The Hornets are at their when playing strong team defense but that wasn't the case in Saturday's 121-109 home loss to the Cavs. Cleveland made 50.6 percent from the floor and and had 71 first-half points. PG Kemba Walker (22.7-4.0-5.4) had 37 points on Saturday but it wasn't enough. However, Charlotte had won five of six prior to Saturday's setback, including a 103-91 home win over the Bulls back on Dec.23rd in which Walker scored 20 points and backcourt mate Nicolas Batum (14.7-7.6-5.9) recorded a triple-double. Six other Hornets are scoring between 9.0 and 11.0 PPG on the season.
Chicago: Hoiberg tried to shake up the Bulls in the last two games by sitting veteran PG Rajon Rondo in favor of Michael Carter-Williams, beginning in the second half of Friday's 111-101 loss at Indiana and continuing throughout Saturday's 116-96 setback against the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Rondo (7.2-6.5-7.1) has been a huge under-achiever but since Williams has gotten back on the floor for the last four games, he has made just six of 27 shots! Butler's (24.6-6.6-4.3) an All Star but Wade (18.8-4.1-3.7) looks old and the "new-look" Bulls seem worse than last year's non-playoff team.
The pick:The Bulls lack chemistry and are just a poor offensive team, scoring 100.5 PPG (23rd), while shooting 43.4% from the floor (28th), including 30.7% on threes (30th). Meanwhile, the Hornets are win-less in six games against the Eastern Conference's three top teams (after dropping a 121-115 loss to defending champion Cleveland on Saturday) but that leaves them 19-9 against the rest of the league. Charlotte is a 10* play.
Charlotte: The Hornets are at their when playing strong team defense but that wasn't the case in Saturday's 121-109 home loss to the Cavs. Cleveland made 50.6 percent from the floor and and had 71 first-half points. PG Kemba Walker (22.7-4.0-5.4) had 37 points on Saturday but it wasn't enough. However, Charlotte had won five of six prior to Saturday's setback, including a 103-91 home win over the Bulls back on Dec.23rd in which Walker scored 20 points and backcourt mate Nicolas Batum (14.7-7.6-5.9) recorded a triple-double. Six other Hornets are scoring between 9.0 and 11.0 PPG on the season.
Chicago: Hoiberg tried to shake up the Bulls in the last two games by sitting veteran PG Rajon Rondo in favor of Michael Carter-Williams, beginning in the second half of Friday's 111-101 loss at Indiana and continuing throughout Saturday's 116-96 setback against the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Rondo (7.2-6.5-7.1) has been a huge under-achiever but since Williams has gotten back on the floor for the last four games, he has made just six of 27 shots! Butler's (24.6-6.6-4.3) an All Star but Wade (18.8-4.1-3.7) looks old and the "new-look" Bulls seem worse than last year's non-playoff team.
The pick:The Bulls lack chemistry and are just a poor offensive team, scoring 100.5 PPG (23rd), while shooting 43.4% from the floor (28th), including 30.7% on threes (30th). Meanwhile, the Hornets are win-less in six games against the Eastern Conference's three top teams (after dropping a 121-115 loss to defending champion Cleveland on Saturday) but that leaves them 19-9 against the rest of the league. Charlotte is a 10* play.
