Being stuck in a tough division can make landing in the playoffs a pretty difficult task. In order to get there, teams need to make the most of their non-divisional games, as a solid record there is often the key to landing in the top 8. That is the problem facing the Charlotte Hornets right now, and they will be looking to pad their non-divisional stats when they head to Chicago to face the Bulls on Friday night.
Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls NBA Game Preview
Date: Friday, November 13th, 2015 Time: 8:00PM Venue: United Center Opening Line: Chicago -6.5
.@threekola and the #Bulls are ready to get even with the @hornets. #GoBulls pic.twitter.com/9rZPVmaLwA
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 13, 2015
Being stuck in the same division as Cleveland, Atlanta, and Washington is certainly no picnic, and the Hornets (4-4) have come out to an 0-3 start in division play. They have also not fared very well on the road so far, and are just 2-3 to start the season. All of that would make it appear as though the Hornets are off to a horrible start, but they have actually been very good of late, and have reeled off 4 wins in their last 5 games, including a 130-105 dismantling of these Chicago Bulls. It was actually that game against the Bulls that sparked this winning trend, with the only loss coming in a tough road trip to San Antonio. The Hornets are in the middle of the pack in most of the major stats, but they do have a defense that is close to cracking the top 10 in points allowed per game. That defense has been on display in 3 of their last 4 wins, where they held their opponents to 95 points or less.
Last week was not a particularly good one for the 5-3 Chicago Bulls, as they lost 2 of 3, with both of those losses coming in pretty astonishing fashion. They started put the week by getting hammered by the Hornets, and closed it out with an OT loss to the Timberwolves where the Bulls somehow managed to go through the OT period without putting a single point in the board. The lone highlight of the week was a win against Oklahoma City, but overall it has to be considered a body of work that was not very impressive. The good news for the Bulls is that it looks as though Joakim Noah might be available to play on Friday, as he has been practicing all week and looks ready to go. His return may provide the spark that this team has been lacking on too many nights so far this season.
