Chicago Bulls stung by Charlotte Hornets in 125-118 loss

CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 2: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls reacts to a play during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 2, 2019 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 2: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls reacts to a play during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 2, 2019 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Bulls were swarmed Saturday night by a late comeback run orchestrated by the Charlotte Hornets in a 125-118 loss.

Coming off a victory over the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls showed promise early on executing both on offense and defense. At one point, the Bulls led by as many as 15 points.

The Hornets, led by All-Star guard Kemba Walker, worked their way back into the game, refusing to let the Bulls swat their chances at getting a win. The problem is the early buzz surrounding the play of Bulls forward Bobby Portis did nothing to rattle the Hornets during the second half.  Much of the momentum would shift in favor of the Hornets by the time the game’s final buzzer sounded.

Here’s a look at what went wrong for the Bulls in a tale of two halves.

First Half

The Bulls did their part putting together a solid effort early on. The offense clicked thanks, in part, to head coach Jim Boylen’s promise to open it up.

Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen was aggressive early on. One knock on his game all year long is how he settles for shots from beyond the arc. Markkanen gave the Hornets problems with his ball handling and ability to finish at the rim.

Hornets guard Kemba Walker returned the favor feasting off mismatches created on offense. Getting into foul trouble was Markkanen, though he still managed to put up 8 points and 6 rebounds.

The Bulls stayed afloat primarily by running in transition and recognizing who’s got the hot hand.

Making a decisive statement among the Bulls was Portis.

In his first 16 minutes off the bench, Portis put up 28 points to go along with 6 rebounds. He demonstrated great efficiency shooting 12-of-16 from the field and 4-of-6 from the three-point line.

Collectively, the Bulls shot 58 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three-point line.

Not to forget to mention, Bulls center Cristiano Felicio made the most of his playing time with a surprise early entrance into Saturday’s the game. He was very active with 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal.

One knock on Felicio is he hasn’t always taken advantage of opportunities to showcase why he deserves more playing time. None of this accurately describes his performance during Saturday night’s game. Felicio had a +12 plus/minus rating through the first half. Meanwhile, Bulls center Robin Lopez had a -7 plus/minus rating.

The Bulls led the Hornets 60-51 at halftime.

Second Half

The Bulls had the advantage after a strong first half only to lose some momentum. For one thing, the Hornets came with a game plan devised to force the ball out of Portis’ hands. The Bulls had trouble making the adjustment. As such, the Bulls got off to a stagnant start running their offense.

The Hornets’ largest lead was 15 points thanks, in part, to Walker, Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lamb and Miles Bridges.

The Bulls would not back down without a fight. Leading the way for the Bulls was Markkanen. He did not let his foul trouble during the first half derail his performance. Markkanen remained aggressive getting to the rim.

The Hornets had no answer for Lauri. All night long, the Hornets relied on smaller lineups. The Bulls feasted off the matchups giving the team hope to close the deficit and make a comeback.

The Hornets entered the penalty with 7:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Markkanen benefitted the most getting to the free-throw line 13 times by the game’s end.

Next. Grading the Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot trade. dark

With a quiet second half from Portis, the Hornets fought back from behind to win 125-118.