GAME NIGHT FROM THE UNITED CENTER:
Charlotte ( 18-36, 10-19 on the road) at Bulls: ( 19-36, 11-16 at home)
TV: NBCSC Chicago: Neil Funk and Stacey King: 7PM CT.
RADIO: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington, and David Schuster. 6:45 pre-CT.
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 25 per. Hornets: Graham: 18 per.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Carter: 9 per. Hornets: Zeller: 7 per.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Satoransky: 5 per. Hornets: Graham: 7 per.
SEASON SERIES: Charlotte 2-1.
The Bulls are back at it tonight as they begin the first of a four-game homestand and a string of three straight opponents playing under .500. Kris Dunn is out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. each practiced during the break. Porter says he will return to game action when he's 100%. Carter will sit this one out tonight. Porter injured his foot on November 6 and hasn't played since. Carter suffered a severe ankle sprain in Dallas on January 6th and has yet to see the court since. Chandler Hutchison is sidelined with an injured shoulder. Denzel Valentine continues to deal with a hamstring injury.
Last week the Hornets parted company with two veterans: Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The Hornets are in a major rebuild. They have ten players under the age of 25. Devonte Graham is having a breakout season, averaging 18 points per game and seven assists per contest. Terry Rozier who came over in a sign and trade from Boston (Kemba Walker to the Celtics) has been moved to off guard with the emergence of Graham. Malik Monk has shown on occasion he's capable of having great games but the next six weeks will probably determine his future as a Hornet.
24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES:
I did not attend any of the All-Star events but enjoyed watching them (exception celebrity game) on TV. It was a fantastic All-Star Game. A shout out to Zach LaVine who participated in the 3 point Shooting contest but also made a ton of media appearances and handled things extremely well.
Congratulations to Jim Gray, Michael Wilbon, Mike Breen as they're headed into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
John Beilein has stepped down as head coach of the 14-40 Cavaliers. I wish John the best. J.B. Bickerstaff takes over.
Denver's Nikola Jokic says he's lost 20-25 pounds since the start of the season.
Spent time with Commissioner Adam Silver last week at the Economic Club of Chicago as he addressed a number of issues ranging from the iconic legacies of David Stern and Kobe Bryant to the state of the NBA in China. I have said this many times, the NBA is in excellent hands with Commissioner Silver.
Also in attendance was the Mayor of Chicago and a HUGE sports fan, Lori Lightfoot.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out: cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls
Always a pleasure.