By Sam Perley, hornets.com
Galleries: February Game Action
The Result
The Hornets broke open a close game in the fourth quarter as they ended up cruising to a 98-86 road win over the Bulls on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in Chicago. The teams were even for most of the night before Charlotte pulled away with about eight minutes remaining and never looked back as they went on to snap their five-game losing streak with the victory. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led five Hornets players in double figures with a team-high 18 points while Pau Gasol finished with 25 points to lead the Bulls.
Turning Points
Charlotte used a quick 9-1 run midway through the fourth quarter to break open a tightly-contested game with the Bulls and take an 85-74 lead over Chicago with 6:01 remaining in the game. The Hornets would continue to pile it on until the end, outscoring the Bulls 31-21 in the final quarter to seal their first victory in Chicago since Dec. 31, 2012.
Inside the Box Score
Michael Kidd-Gilchirst tallied 18 points to finish in double figures for the ninth time in his last 10 games… Mo Williams finished with 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half… Al Jefferson bounced back from a rough outing in Dallas with 16 points and seven rebounds… Brian Roberts (12) and Gerald Henderson (11) also finished in double figures for Charlotte… Cody Zeller scored four points and pulled down nine rebounds… Mo Williams also led the Hornets with five assists… Pau Gasol led the Bulls with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks… Joakim Noah finished with four points, 11 rebounds and a team-high eight assists… Jimmy Butler (14), Aaron Brooks (12) and Tony Snell (10) also finished in double figures for Chicago… The Bulls came into the game ranked second in the NBA in rebounding (45.8) but lost the battle on the boards to Charlotte, 45-43… The Hornets outscored the Bulls on the fast break, 17-5
Hornets Player of the Game
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continues to shine for the Hornets since returning from a hamstring injury on Feb. 21. He led the way with a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds. Kidd-Gilchrist recorded his first double-double since Feb. 2 and his ninth overall on the season.
Bulls Player of the Game
Pau Gasol had a monster night for the Bulls finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks to record his 18th double-double in his last 19 games. Gasol now has 38 double-doubles on the season, which is the most in the NBA.
Game Notes
Charlotte beat the Bulls for only the third time in the last 14 meetings… Chicago lost its first game since learning Derrick Rose would need another knee surgery to repair a torn right meniscus that will sideline him indefinitely… The Bulls lost for only the second time in their last eight games.
Next Up
The Hornets head to north to take on the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. The game can be seen on FOX SportsSouth or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.