Bulls full sweep of Hornets in LaVine’s return, 120-99

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Nikola Vucevic had 29 factors and 14 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls breezed previous the Charlotte Hornets 120-99 on Thursday night time with Zach LaVine again on the ground.

LaVine returned from an 11-game absence as a result of league’s well being and security protocols and scored 13 factors on 5-of-11 capturing for the Bulls, who swept the season sequence towards the Hornets by a mixed 52 factors.

Chicago entered the night time 3 1/2 video games behind Washington for the ultimate spot within the Japanese Convention play-in match.

P.J. Washington, who missed Charlotte’s final sport for the start of his youngster, led the Hornets with 24 factors on six 3-pointers. Malik Monk added 20 factors off the bench for the Hornets, who performed with out Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham.

Charlotte (32-34) had an opportunity to clinch a spot within the play-in match with a win mixed with a loss by the Toronto Raptors.

However Vucevic would have none of it. He returned after lacking two video games with proper abductor tightness and dominated Charlotte. He made 12 of 24 photographs from the sphere and helped unfold the ground by capturing 5 of seven from 3-point vary. He additionally pushed the Bulls to a 56-45 edge on the glass.

The Bulls beat the Hornets by 13 and 18 factors earlier this season and jumped out to a 48-33 lead.

It appeared Charlotte would possibly make a sport of it after hitting 8 of 13 3-point makes an attempt within the second quarter to chop the result in 5, however the Bulls prolonged their result in 22 getting into the fourth quarter.

It was a depressing night time for Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball, who was 1 of 10 from the sphere and completed with 4 factors.

LaVine averaged greater than 30 factors in his 5 earlier video games earlier than being sidelined, however largely deferred to his teammates within the first three quarters, making an attempt six photographs. However he started to point out his scoring capability with back-to-back leap photographs to begin the fourth quarter.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Had 19 second likelihood factors. … By no means trailed within the sport. … Former North Carolina coach Roy Williams was in attendance watching one in all his former gamers, Coby White.

Hornets: Caleb Martin had the play of the night time when he drove the baseline and skied over Vucevic for a one-handed dunk. … Shot 38.9% (7 of 18) from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host Boston on Friday night time.

Hornets: Host New Orleans on Friday night time.

Extra AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities



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