Bulls 102, Hornets 97
CHICAGO -- It wasn't a blowout, but the Chicago Bulls did get some payback with a 102-97 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at the United Center.
After losing 130-105 to the Hornets in Charlotte just 10 days earlier, the Bulls (6-3) seized the lead early in the fourth and held on down the stretch to even the score in the season series.
Trailing 100-97, the Hornets couldn't pull even in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb each missed 3-pointers that would've pulled Charlotte even before Bulls guard Jimmy Butler sealed the win by coaxing a jumper to fall for the final margin.
Butler scored 27 points to lead four Chicago players in double figures. E'Twaun Moore added 11 points, Taj Gibson chipped in 12 points, Derrick Rose finished with 10 points and Pau Gasol recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Batum led all scorers with 28 points, and the Hornets (4-5) also got double-figures scoring from Lamb (12 points), Kemba Walker (16 points) and Marvin Williams (14 points).
Charlotte led 75-73 after three quarters and erased a four-point halftime deficit. Led by Batum's 12 points, the Hornets outscored the Bulls 29-23 in the third to retake the lead.
Chicago responded with a 13-4 run to start the fourth, building an 86-79 lead following a jumper by Rose with 7:22 left to play. Batum and Walker kept the margin in single digits, but the Bulls got enough from Butler, Rose, Gasol, Moore and Gibson down the stretch.
Chicago led 50-46 at halftime, after outscoring the Hornets 27-23 in the second quarter. Gasol had his double-double by that point, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. His ninth rebound was his 1,000th with the Bulls, just nine games into his second season playing for Chicago.
The first quarter ended tied 23-23 after five lead changes and two ties. Charlotte built a 19-14 lead following a jumper by Jefferson at 4:49, but the Bulls came out of a timeout and used a 9-4 run to close out the quarter even.
NOTES: Starting PG Kemba Walker (heel) played for the Hornets. Walker's availability was questionable coming into the game Friday at the Bulls. ... F Cody Zeller did not play for Charlotte because of a nagging left ankle injury. "He hurt his ankle the other night and tried to go through shootaround (Friday) morning, and it was just sore," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "He can't jump, so Frank (Kaminsky) will get more of a chance (against the Bulls)." ... Hornets F/C Spencer Hawes (right ankle sprain) was available to play. ... Bulls C Joakim Noah (knee soreness), played after missing one game because of the issue. ... Chicago F Mike Dunleavy (back) missed his ninth game, while G Kirk Hinrich (toe) sat out for the sixth time.