Hornets 101, Bulls 91
Gerald Henderson led seven players in double figures with 20 points as host Charlotte won for the sixth time in eight games.
Mo Williams scored 18 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 13 for the Hornets, who had a 55-36 advantage on the boards. Marvin Williams had 12 points and Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker and Jason Maxiell each scored 10 as Charlotte moved one-half game ahead of Miami in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Aaron Brooks scored 24 to lead Chicago, which has lost four of five and sits two games behind Cleveland for second place in the East and percentage points behind Toronto for the third slot. Pau Gasol had 18 points and eight rebounds while Tony Snell contributed 17 points for the Bulls.
Brooks scored 12 points and the Bulls were 14-of-20 in the first quarter to race to a 35-19 lead, but the Hornets had runs of 9-0 and 10-3 in the second - during which they made 14 free throws - to pull within 60-52 at the break. Chicago went the first six-plus minutes of the third without a field goal as Charlotte stormed in front on a jumper by Mo Williams and moved ahead 75-65 when Walker's basket capped an 8-0 run.
The Bulls cut their deficit to seven points entering the fourth and Doug McDermott's 3 early in the final stanza made it 79-73, but they endured another lengthy stretch without a basket as the hosts put together a 10-1 burst and eventually went up by 18. Twelve straight points by Chicago - including 3-pointers by Brooks and Nikola Mirotic - made it a six-point gap with 1:22 left but the Hornets iced it at the line.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Bulls C Joakim Noah was held to one point in 24 minutes after missing a game with knee soreness. ... The Hornets were without C Al Jefferson (knee), who is considered day-to-day. ... Henderson was 9-of-9 from the line and Charlotte's starters combined to go 22-of-22.