Hornets at Bulls
THE STORY: With the All-Star break out of the way, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls will hope for a smoother second half on the medical front as they prepare to host the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday. Rose, the league’s reigning MVP, has missed 10 of the first 35 games because of injury but Chicago still owns the second-best overall and home record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are seeking their eighth straight victory – and second in three weeks – over the Hornets.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV, CST (Hornets), CS Chicago (Bulls)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (8-25): New Orleans has actually played fairly well entering the finale of a six-game road trip. The Hornets have won four of six, and the only defeats on the current road trip came at Oklahoma City and Indiana (overtime). Guard Marco Belinelli has averaged 16.6 points on 55.4 percent shooting in his last five games, connecting on 13 of 23 3-point attempts. Center Chris Kaman has three double-doubles and is averaging 17.8 points in the last six games.
ABOUT THE BULLS (27-7): Rose played the last two games before the All-Star break after missing five games with a balky back. He scored 14 points in 18 minutes during Sunday’s All-Star Game. Big men Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer picked up the slack during his absence. Noah averaged 11.9 rebounds in his last nine games and posted five double-doubles in his previous eight, including his first career triple-double last time out. Boozer has averaged 19.0 points on 58.1 percent shooting in the last nine games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Bulls have swept the Hornets for the past three seasons and won at New Orleans 90-67 on Feb. 8.
2. The Hornets have kept the opposition to less than 100 points 24 times in their first 33 games.