By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
A late rally wasn’t enough for the Charlotte Hornets to overcome some major turnover issues throughout the night as they fell to the Bulls, 120-114, on Monday, April 3 in Chicago. Dwight Howard finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds for his single-season franchise-record 50th double-double, but the team’s 20 total giveaways were undoubtedly the deciding factor in a fourth-consecutive loss.
Turning Point
Following a pair of Dwight Howard free throws that cut Chicago’s lead to 115-114 with two minutes left in the game, both teams went scoreless for the next 64 seconds before Sean Kilpatrick buried a 26-foot three-pointer to put the Bulls up by four. The Hornets couldn’t get anything to fall in their next two possessions and Jerian Grant iced the game with a pair of charity-stripe shots in the closing seconds to seal Chicago’s third-straight win.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Malik Monk gear here)
Malik Monk erupted for 21 points (16 in the fourth quarter) on 8-of-15 shooting (5-of-10 from three-point range), two rebounds and two assists in the loss. This is Monk’s third game of the year with at least five three-point field goals, which is now the highest single-season total by a rookie in franchise history (Augustin - 2; 2008-09)
Bulls Player of the Game
Sean Kilpatrick racked up a season-high 21 points (19 in the fourth quarter), three assists and a game-high-tying two blocks in 29 minutes off the bench in the victory. Kilpatrick, who has been on four different NBA teams this season, last scored 20 points on March 8, 2017 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Game Notes
Dwight Howard tallied 23 points and a game-high 17 rebounds for his franchise-record 50th double-double of the season. Larry Johnson held the previous mark of 49 set in the 1992-93 campaign…. Marvin Williams had 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and his 200th career block for the Hornets… Nicolas Batum chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and a team-high five assists… Willy Hernangomez (11 points) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (10 points) also scored in double figures for Charlotte… The 20 turnovers for the Hornets are their third-highest total in a game this year and most since Dec. 1 at Miami (season-high 22)… The Bulls crushed the Hornets in points off turnovers, 28-6… Chicago shot 15-of-34 from long distance (44.1 percent), while Charlotte made 13-of-34 three-point attempts (38.2 percent).
Quote of the Night
“Turnovers just crushed us – both in the third [quarter], and then in the fourth. We did some good things, but just really poor, poor turnovers that led to easy baskets. That was the difference in the game.” – Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford
Next Up<br
The Hornets wrap up their two-game road trip against the Magic starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 6 in Orlando, FL. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.