Hornets Vs Bulls: Charlotte’s 131-99 rout leaves Chicago spiraling as road streak climbs
The immediate losers feel it most: in the hornets vs bulls matchup, Chicago absorbed a 131-99 defeat that deepened an already painful skid. The Bulls fell for a 10th straight game and are now the only winless team in the league, while Charlotte piled up a team-record eighth straight road victory behind red-hot shooting. Fans, rotation players and the team calendar all face direct consequences from this one result.
Hornets Vs Bulls — who takes the hit and why it matters now
Here’s the part that matters: Chicago’s slide is no longer isolated to a few rough games. The Bulls dropped their 10th straight loss, matching their longest losing streak since January 2019, and have now lost seven straight at home. That stretch leaves the Bulls at 24-35 and labeled the only winless team in the league after this result. The cumulative effect is immediate — roster roles, morale and the remaining schedule will feel it.
Game details and momentum swings that decided the night
Charlotte exploded in the third quarter, outscoring Chicago 42-16 and turning the frame into a decisive 22-2 run that erased a halftime tussle. The Hornets led 56-55 at the half after having trailed by nine midway through the second quarter. Knueppel’s back-to-back 3s midway through the third kicked off a 10-point personal run that stretched Charlotte’s lead; Miller’s next three shots — part of five 3-pointers for him — pushed the margin to 88-65 and capped the decisive sequence.
Individual lines, milestones and roster returns
Brandon Miller scored 23 points and Kon Knueppel added 21 as Charlotte shot 51. 6% from the field and knocked down 25 of 57 3-point attempts, one shy of the team record. LaMelo Ball had 16 points and Miles Bridges finished with 16 in his return from a suspension. Knueppel went 3-for-6 from deep to bring his career long-range total to 201; playing in his 58th game, he became the fastest player to reach 200 3s.
For Chicago, Matas Buzelis posted a career-high 32 points and made six 3-pointers while also leading the team with six rebounds. The Bulls struggled with ball security — committing 19 turnovers — and received 11 points each from Patrick Williams and Guerschon Yabusele. Collin Sexton, facing his former team, scored 10 points; Josh Giddey finished with eight points while returning from a hamstring injury; Isaac Okoro scored seven points; and Rob Dillingham led the team with five assists.
Roster notes, returns and sideline context
Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate started after sitting out four games related to a fight against Detroit on Feb. 9. Coby White made his Hornets debut against the team that traded him at the deadline earlier this month: he entered midway through the first quarter, scored 10 points in 15: 33 and was honored in Chicago with a short video tribute celebrating his 6 1/2 seasons there. The game’s flow reflected that mix of returns and adjustments on both benches.
Schedule ripple and what the immediate calendar shows
The loss leaves Chicago facing a short-term stretch of pressure: a Thursday game against the Portland Trail Blazers to close out February, a stretch that could have resulted in a month without a win if things had gone differently, and a Sunday home opener for March against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bulls’ last win was on January 31, a 125-118 victory over the Miami Heat — noted as one of the final games before roster changes that included trades of White and others.
- Scoreline: Charlotte 131, Chicago 99 (32-point margin)
- Charlotte shooting: 51. 6% overall; 25-for-57 on 3s
- Key scorers: Brandon Miller 23, Kon Knueppel 21, LaMelo Ball 16, Miles Bridges 16 (return from suspension)
- Chicago leaders: Matas Buzelis 32 (career high) and six rebounds; Patrick Williams 11; Guerschon Yabusele 11
- Chicago turnovers: 19
It’s easy to overlook, but the scale of Charlotte’s road run and the way this one unraveled in the third quarter underline how momentum and shooting heat can alter a season in a single night.
The real question now is how Chicago responds on a tight calendar and whether the Bulls can halt the skid before the next stretch of meaningful matchups. If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, note the cluster of roster returns, a mounting home losing streak and that the last Bulls win was a month earlier — all details that tie directly to the current pressure on the team.
