Chicago Bulls knows that they will play beyond the regular season, but to make sure that all pieces click is an essential task during their last five matches.
They start Sunday afternoon as they visit the fighting Charlotte Hornets.
Bulls (35-42) has dressed a place in the Play-in round for the mail season, but they would like to improve their warehouse. They have won two straight after a 118-113 home victory against Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Bulls Guard Coby White comes from a 31-point excursion. He has been Bull’s leading goal scorer in ten of the last 12 matches and shared the point with Nikola Vucevic on Friday.
White will play in his home state Sunday. He led the team in points with 23 points in an overtime of 115-108 in Charlotte on December 30 and then received 18 in a two-point home loss on January 17. He also got 18 in a home victory on December 13.
Bulls has found an ideal complement to White in guard Josh Giddey, which was average 20.3 points per match in March. Giddey comes from his sixth triple bold of the season, achieved Friday night when he recorded 15 points, 19 returns and 12 assists.
“He has figured it out for us, with how we play, there are good pictures for him with the painting area,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I think his shooting percentage has gone up because he takes pictures that he will shoot a high percentage on. He is a guy who is really just a phenomenal passer. He has really figured out how to play with Coby and play with some of these guys.”
White has made a franchise record for a season 209 baskets from 3-point range both last season and this season.
Hornets (19-58) has lost seven of its last eight matches.
About the only thing Hornets plays for when it comes to the position is to avoid the worst record in the NBA. They have two more wins than Washington Wizards and three more than Utah Jazz.
Nevertheless, players and coach Charles Lee are evaluated that it is an important time to make sure that there are measures in the right direction before the end of the season.
“We’re focused on what competitiveness is? It’s not a statistical measure,” Lee said.
Miles Bridges has been Charlotte’s leading goal scorer for four consecutive matches. However, he shoots a career-low 31.6 percent from the 3-point range this season.
Hornets could take an extended look at the guard Jaylen Sims, who made his NBA debut with seven points in 21 minutes from the bench Friday night in a loss of 125-102 to Sacramento Kings on Friday.
He was signed to a 10-day contract after a strong season with the organization’s G League team in Greensboro, NC
“Very impressed with what Jaylen gave us,” Lee said. “Not really surprised, because that’s how he played in the G League. … just an all-encompassing good player, good teammate and person to add our group when we go into the tail of our season-someone coming in, competing and bringing the right amount of juice.”
Charlotte does not have the firepower or experience to stick to most teams, especially with the top players Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller sideways during the rest of the season with injuries. Center Mark Williams has been in and out of the lineup and missing the game Friday night with muscle spasms.
Chicago owns a 19-19 road record, while Hornets is 12-27 at home.
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