Charlotte Hornets (28-31) beat Chicago Bulls (24-35) 131-99 on the road on Tuesday, February 24. The final margin was 32 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The teams matched each other with 31 points apiece in the first quarter, leaving it level at 31. The Hornets moved in front with a 25-24 second quarter, carrying a 1-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 42-16 to create some separation, taking a 27-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 33-28; the Hornets finished the job for a 131-99 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Hornets grabbed 36.8% of their own misses, while the Bulls recovered 22%. The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 64.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.4% for the Bulls. The second chances kept adding up.
The Bulls did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 15.9 against 8.4. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 131.3 points per 100 possessions to 99.2 for the Bulls.
The Hornets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 46-28.
Who stood out
Matas Buzelis was the game's biggest individual force for CHI: 32 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast on 13-19 shooting. His Game Score of 26 led everyone. His team was -7 with him on the floor.
Moussa Diabate led the Hornets with 9 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk on 4-4 shooting, good for a 18.9 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 65% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Chicago Bulls lead 4-3.
The Hornets are now 28-31, and the Bulls are 24-35. The Hornets last five before this game: L-W-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.