Hornets 108, Bulls 91
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With Chicago guard Derrick Rose a surprise late scratch from the lineup with "soreness all over," the Charlotte Hornets leapt to a fast start and cruised to a 108-91 victory over the Bulls on Monday night behind Kemba Walker's 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Guard Nicolas Batum added 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 20 points and seven rebounds as Charlotte (26-26) climbed to .500 for the first time since Jan. 4, when a seven-game losing streak plunged them to a losing record.
Pau Gasol led Chicago (27-24) with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
The Hornets had their second-highest scoring quarter of the season in seizing an early 38-20 lead. They were led by Kidd-Gilchrist's 10 points and Spencer Hawes' seven points in the first period.
The Hornets' 38 first-quarter points were the most allowed by the Bulls this season, and it came on 14-for-24 shooting from Charlotte.
Chicago already was without leading scorer Jimmy Butler, who suffered a sprained left knee Friday. Without Rose as well, the Bulls were minus their combined 38.3 points per game. Rose defined his reason for sitting as "body soreness."
Without two of the top three Bulls scorers, the Hornets lead grew to as large as 25 points late in the third quarter. Chicago never led.
The narrowest the Bulls would close the gap was when eight straight points to start the fourth quarter sliced the Hornets lead to 87-73 with 10:16 remaining.
Chicago is 5-2 without Rose this season and 1-2 without Butler.
NOTES: Bulls SG Jimmy Butler's injured left knee is "feeling a lot better," according to Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg, though Hoiberg is uncertain of a timeframe for Butler's return from the sprain suffered Friday against Denver. Butler remained in Chicago to receive treatment on his knee. ... Hoiberg said no single player will replace all of what Butler does, though G E'Twaun Moore will start in his place, again. "Just kind of by committee," Hoiberg said. "Especially when Jimmy did so many things for this team. [He's the] best perimeter defender, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He's a go-to player late in games, makes clutch plays. So it's tough. You can't replace it just with one guy." ... Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said he hopes injured C Al Jefferson will return after the All-Star break, and will determine what Jefferson can manage in practices following the break. "We'll have a couple days of practice where we'll play a lot of contact, up and down the floor, and then we can get a better gauge for where he's at," Clifford said. Jefferson had surgery on his right knee Dec. 31 to repair a torn meniscus. ... Hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has played five games since missing 46 with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. His first three games, he averaged 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds. His last two games, he's averaged 9.0 points and 1.5 rebounds. "I think he hit the wall a little bit," Clifford admitted.