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The Chicago Bulls are looking to sweep their season series with the Charlotte Hornets when they meet on Thursday night at Spectrum Center.
The first two games between the Bulls and the Hornets were lopsided affairs, including a recent game on April 23.
Despite the fact that the Chicago Bulls won both contests easily, it’s the Charlotte Hornets who have the better record (32-33) and would be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.
The Bulls (26-39) are four games behind the Washington Wizards for the final spot in the tournament and could be looking at another long summer.
Match Details
Fixture - Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Hornets | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Thursday, May 6th, 7:00 PM ET (Friday, May 7th, 4:30 AM IST)
Venue - Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls are on a four-game losing streak and are in need of more support. Fortunately, Thursday's matchup will be the first game back for Zach LaVine, who missed 11 straight games due to the league’s health and safety protocols. The veteran guard will be joined by Nikola Vucevic, who was sidelined for the last two games due to a hip injury.
With only seven games left in their schedule, the Chicago Bulls may be too late in making a mad dash for the play-in tournament, even with the return of their All-Star duo. Nevertheless, they will try to make every game as competitive as ever to finish the season strong.
Key Player - Zach LaVine
A return to form might take time for Zach LaVine. Conditioning will be a major issue for the first-time All-Star when he takes his first few trips up and down the court.
LaVine said recently:
"Earlier in the season, it was easier for me to fight through an ankle injury. I had a Grade 2 ankle sprain. I could play through that. This (COVID-19) is something I couldn’t fight and try to play through. That's what kind of hurt me the most."
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan will be monitoring his minutes, and it will be interesting to see how LaVine holds up in his first game back.
The Bulls went 4-7 during his 11-game absence and have lost five of their last six games heading into the Charlotte Hornets game.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Coby White l Shooting Guard - Zach LaVine l Small Forward - Patrick Williams l Power Forward - Daniel Theis l Center - Nikola Vucevic
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets are in eighth place in the East and are two games ahead of the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards, who are right behind them with identical 30-35 records.
The Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons 102-99 on Tuesday. LaMelo Ball led the team with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
The Charlotte Hornets have won four of their last seven games and will look to strengthen their hold on their position when the Chicago Bulls come to town. The task will be more difficult, however, with forward Miles Bridges entering the league's health and safety protocols on Tuesday. He could be out between 10-to-14 days.
Key Player - LaMelo Ball
In just his third game back, LaMelo Ball has already made a difference in the team’s fortunes. The Charlotte Hornets have won two of their last three games and are looking more like playoff contenders, even though they are still missing the services of Gordon Hayward.
Charlotte Hornets guard has so far averaged 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals in nearly 29.6 minutes of action per game. Except for his scoring and shooting efficiency, Ball's stats are up from his season numbers, which is a good sign.
He will likely be matched up against the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine, who will not be at 100 percent when he takes the court on Thursday.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - LaMelo Ball l Shooting Guard - Terry Rozier l Small Forward - Caleb Martin l Power Forward - Jalen McDaniels l Center - Bismack Biyombo
Bulls vs Hornets Match Prediction
The Chicago Bulls will be boosted by the returns of LaVine and Vucevic. The duo will be playing together for the first time in weeks, but it might take a while for the team to fully reintegrate LaVine into the offense again.
The Charlotte Hornets already received a boost three games ago but are still missing key personnel. Nonetheless, they are playing at home, and the other players have been stepping up for their injured comrades time and time again.
We expect a victory for the Charlotte Hornets, but the game will be close, especially since Vucevic will be a tough matchup for either Biyombo or McDaniels.
Where to watch Bulls vs Hornets
The game between the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets will be televised locally on NBC Sports Chicago and Bally Sports Southeast Charlotte. For international viewers, the match will be live-streamed on the NBA League Pass.
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