Kemba Walker scores 30 in Charlotte Hornets’ blowout of Chicago Bulls
The expected: Kemba Walker was magnificent from 3-poinit range. The unexpected: Bismack Biyombo played meaningful minutes.
Walker scored 30 points in three quarters to push the Charlotte Hornets to a 135-106 home victory over the Chicago Bulls. With a comfortable lead midway through the third, coach James Borrego inserted little-used center Biyombo, who added a dunk on the Bulls’ tepid defense.
The Hornets improved to 3-3 and got some fourth-quarter rest for their starters in the first night of a back-to-back set. They play the 76ers in Philadelphia Saturday night.
Walker now has 29 3-pointers this season. He also finished with seven assists and six rebounds Friday.
The Bulls, whose only victory this season was Wednesday in Chicago over the Hornets, got 20 points from Zach LaVine.
Three who mattered
Walker: He reached 20 points by the end of the first half and continues to be a prolific 3-point shooter this early season.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: He brought that physicality and energy coach James Borrego was demanding of this team Thursday.
Tony Parker: He totaled 18 points and eight assists off the bench.
Observations
▪ The Hornets scored 68 points in the first half even while missing their first 11 3-point attempts. The best thing you could say about the Hornets’ first-half offense was their 15 assists. Making more assists this season was a major emphasis for Borrego.
▪ Borrego said Thursday rookie Miles Bridges’ performance in the first Bulls’ game justified additional minutes Friday. Bridges and Kidd-Gilchrist were the first two substitutes Friday, and Bridges played 11 first-half minutes.
▪ Walker had 20 first-half points, but he wasn’t just scoring. He also had six rebounds and four assists.
▪ The 45 points scored by the Hornets in the second quarter were fourth-most in any quarter in franchise history. The record is 49 points.
▪ The Hornets did an Internet survey to name the top 10 players in 30 years of the NBA in Charlotte. Alonzo Mourning was the top vote-getter. Mourning played only three seasons for the Hornets before the trade to the Miami Heat, but he ended up a Hall of Fame center.
Worth mentioning
▪ Rookie Devonte Graham was inactive Friday. Biyombo and Dwayne Bacon have also been healthy inactives this early season with the Hornets having no significant injuries.
▪ Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg had to name a new starter Friday after forward Bobby Portis was ruled out with a knee sprain. Hoiberg chose to start Chandler Hutchison at small forward, leaving former Duke star Jabari Parker as Chicago’s top sub.
▪ Hornets coach James Borrego chose not to make any changes in his starting lineup, after flirting with the idea after he saw a lack of physicality in Wednesday’s loss in Chicago.
They said it
“Too many points in transition and it starts there. ...We have to take it to heart and we have to execute it.” – Borrego on the 16 fast-break points the Hornets gave up in Wednesday’s road loss to the Bulls.
“I like Jabari’s role right now scoring off the bench, his playmaking off the bench.” – Hoiberg on not choosing to move Parker into the starting lineup in reaction to Portis’ injury.
Report card
A OFFENSE: Excellent ball-movement, which led to 15 first-half assists.
B+ DEFENSE: Rebounding, which has been inconsistent this season, was a major strength Friday.
A COACHING: Borrego got his players’ attention after a deficit in physicality and effort in Chicago, and the message was reflected in their play.
HORNETS 135, BULLS 106
Chicago | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Holiday | 28:56 | 2-7 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Hutchison | 27:30 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Carter Jr. | 17:57 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
LaVine | 25:50 | 6-16 | 4-6 | 3 | 2 | 20 |
Payne | 23:07 | 6-10 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
Felicio | 30:03 | 3-6 | 3-4 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
J.Parker | 25:41 | 7-14 | 3-3 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
Arcidiacono | 24:53 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
Blakeney | 22:10 | 5-10 | 1-2 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
Harrison | 13:53 | 3-8 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
Totals | 240:00 | 37-85 | 16-22 | 34 | 16 | 106 |
Percentages: FG .435, FT .727. 3-Point Goals: 16-36, .444 (LaVine 4-8, Harrison 2-3, Arcidiacono 2-4, Payne 2-4, Blakeney 2-5, J.Parker 2-5, Carter Jr. 1-1, Holiday 1-5, Hutchison 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 13 (25 PTS). Blocked Shots: 7 (Carter Jr. 3, Blakeney 2, Holiday, J.Parker). Turnovers: 13 (J.Parker 3, Carter Jr. 2, Felicio 2, Harrison 2, LaVine 2, Arcidiacono, Payne). Steals: 5 (Holiday 2, Payne 2, Harrison).
Charlotte | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Batum | 30:31 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
Williams | 17:17 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Zeller | 20:22 | 6-9 | 2-2 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
Lamb | 23:45 | 3-7 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
Walker | 26:13 | 11-18 | 3-3 | 6 | 3 | 30 |
Bridges | 25:35 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
Monk | 24:15 | 4-10 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
Kidd-Gilchrist | 19:23 | 6-9 | 3-4 | 8 | 3 | 15 |
T.Parker | 19:12 | 7-11 | 3-3 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Biyombo | 12:28 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Bacon | 12:00 | 2-3 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
Hernangomez | 4:34 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Kaminsky | 4:25 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 240:00 | 53-93 | 15-16 | 50 | 18 | 135 |
Percentages: FG .570, FT .938. 3-Point Goals: 14-32, .438 (Walker 5-10, Batum 2-3, Lamb 2-4, Monk 2-5, Bacon 1-2, T.Parker 1-2, Bridges 1-3, Kaminsky 0-1, Williams 0-2). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 10 (14 PTS). Blocked Shots: 10 (Biyombo 5, Williams 2, Batum, Kidd-Gilchrist, Zeller). Turnovers: 10 (Biyombo 2, Walker 2, Batum, Bridges, Lamb, Monk, T.Parker, Zeller). Steals: 10 (Batum 2, Bridges 2, Monk 2, Bacon, Kidd-Gilchrist, Lamb, T.Parker).
Chicago | 25 | 29 | 21 | 31 | — | 106 |
Charlotte | 23 | 45 | 34 | 33 | — | 135 |
Att.—15,220 (19,077). T—2:04.
Officials—Ben Taylor, Tony Brothers, Matt Myers
Rick Bonnell: 704-358-5129, @rick_bonnell
This story was originally published October 26, 2018 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Kemba Walker scores 30 in Charlotte Hornets’ blowout of Chicago Bulls."