Charlotte @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2019 ) Chicago 116, Charlotte 115

Three consecutive tough losses left the Chicago Bulls ready to break out, and they did just that in a 136-102 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Sustaining that level of play is the next challenge, and the Bulls will try to make it back-to-back triumphs when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Chicago dropped games to the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors by a total of eight points before breezing to a 136-102 triumph at home against the Hawks behind 35 points in three quarters by guard Zach LaVine. "You want to have wins like that," LaVine told reporters. "It's good for the team and obviously for the body. I was more excited about us being able to keep the gas on and not having to come back in because we played a full game where we hold the lead going into the fourth quarter." The Hornets are winners of two consecutive games after point guard Devonte' Graham went off for a career-high 40 points in a 113-108 triumph at Brooklyn on Wednesday to kick off a three-game trip. "My teammates, my coaching staff, they just believe in me so much," Graham told reporters. "They tell me to keep going out and shooting the ball. (Injured veterans Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum) told me to go get the ball in the end and make a play. That's what I did and that's what put that confidence in me to go out and do it."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE HORNETS (11-16): Graham scored 27 of his 40 points in the second half on Wednesday and joined All-Stars James Harden and Kyle Lowry as the only players to record at least 200 assists and 100 3-pointers within the first 30 games of the season. The 24-year-old Kansas product is averaging team highs of 20 points and 7.6 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc after averaging 4.7 points on 34.3 percent shooting as a rookie last season. Graham is helping Charlotte work through a shooting slump from fellow guard Terry Rozier, who is 13-of-42 from the floor over the last three contests.

ABOUT THE BULLS (9-17): Taking on the defensive challenge against Graham will likely be Bulls guard Kris Dunn, who harassed Atlanta star Trae Young on Wednesday and is becoming the team's best defensive stopper. "Kris has been taking on the challenge," LaVine told reporters. "The last four games he has held his opponent to like, five to seven points under his average." Dunn added nine points in the win while Chicago shot 57.4 percent from the field, with LaVine (12-of-16) and forward Lauri Markkanen (22 points, 8-of-9 shooting) leading the way.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets SG Malik Monk (finger) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.

2. Bulls C Wendell Carter Jr. recorded three double-doubles in the last six games.

3. The teams split the first two meetings of the season, with Chicago earning a 116-115 triumph at Charlotte in the most recent matchup on Nov. 23.

PREDICTION: Bulls 115, Hornets 112