Hornets overcome Graham’s scoreless game to beat the Bulls, win third game in a row
The Charlotte Hornets won their third consecutive game and did so without their leading scorer contributing a single point.
Point guard Devonte Graham went scoreless for the first time this season, but the Hornets left Chicago with a 103-93 victory over the Bulls. It was their third win in a row, all on the road.
Graham, who averages 18.1 points this season, went 0-of-7 from the field. His previous season-low this season was four points at Golden State in November.
The Hornets got 25 points off the bench from guard Malik Monk, continuing his best sustained play in 2 1/2 NBA seasons. Miles Bridges add 22.
Ten observations:
▪ Monk is such a different player when he keeps attacking the rim. He went to the foul line six times in the first half, making them all, which compensated for him making only one of his four 3-point attempts before halftime.
▪ The Bulls were down to just nine healthy players and played them all in the first nine minutes of the game. Monk said in a halftime interview how tired the Bulls looked, and it showed in the boxscore: Chicago missed all 15 of its first-half 3-point attempts.
▪ The Hornets got back two injured players from before All-Star break: Cody Martin was back from a concussion and broken nose — the rookie played in a protective mask. Guard Terry Rozier was back in the starting lineup after sitting out the game in Minnesota last week with knee tendinitis.
▪ Rozier being out against the Timberwolves was the first time one of the two point guards — Rozier and Graham — missed a game this season. Monk got the backup minutes at the point then, and it’s clear coach James Borrego is looking for ways to get him into pick-and-rolls as a ballhandler.
▪ Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said he anticipates rookies Jalen McDaniels and Caleb Martin, who have spent most of the season with the Greensboro Swarm, sticking with the Hornets the rest of the way. Borrego has a guideline that young, developmental players are not playing, they are better off with the Swarm. McDaniels played in the first half. Caleb Martin didn’t, after starting against the Timberwolves.
▪ Borrego said his two primary coaching focuses the rest of the season are to cut down on live-ball turnovers and improve the rebounding. Borrego believes his team has improved as a half-court defense of late, but those live-ball turnovers lead to easy opponent baskets. The Hornets committed 17 turnovers Thursday.
▪ Borrego’s center rotation has been pretty fluid of late. Cody Zeller, who sat against the Timberwolves, started Thursday. He played well in the first quarter, particularly as a ball distributor, but picked up three first-half fouls. Bismack Biyombo was the backup, leaving Willy Hernangomez out of the rotation.
▪ Kupchak praised veteran Biyombo on Wednesday, saying he has demonstrated this season — the last on Biyombo’s contract — that he’s still an NBA player. It’s possible Kupchak could look to re-sign Biyombo this summer. Biyombo has said he’s receptive to staying.
▪ Cody Martin drew his 13th charge of the season, ninth-most in the NBA.
▪ This was the third time this season the Hornets (19-36) won three consecutive games. They have yet to put together a four-game winning streak.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 10:28 PM.
