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Bulls deal Hornets 10th straight loss

Dec 4, 2014 - 4:38 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Pau Gasol amassed 19 points and 15 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls finished strong to record a 102-95 win over Charlotte, the Hornets' 10th consecutive loss.

Jimmy Butler and Derek Rose each scored 15 points for Chicago, which squandered a 13-point third-quarter lead before embarking on a 15-4 run in the fourth to put the scuffling Hornets away.

Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic each posted double-doubles in the victory, with Noah compiling 14 points and 10 rebounds and Mirotic contributing 11 points and 12 boards off the bench.

Charlotte received 23 points from Kemba Walker and 20 out of Lance Stephenson, but was badly outshot by the Bulls from the perimeter. The Hornets hit just 2- of-15 attempts from 3-point range, compared to a 12-of-28 mark for Chicago.

"The obvious difference in this game was 3-point shooting," said Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. "We played hard, we did some good things, but we didn't do enough to win."

Walker fueled Charlotte's third-quarter rally by pouring in 17 points for the period, the last three coming on a layup and free throw that put the Hornets up 71-70 with 1:27 to go in the frame. Charlotte led 78-77 with nine minutes left, then struggled to hit shots as the Bulls got hot.

Butler knocked down a jumper that was followed by Mirotic's 3-point play and a beyond-the-arc basket by Aaron Brooks, staking Chicago to an 85-78 advantage. Shortly afterward, Mirotic knocked down a three that preceded Gasol's successful jumper that extended the margin to 92-82 with 4:34 to play.

A pair of triples from Kirk Hinrich in the final 3 1/2 minutes helped Chicago stay ahead.

"It was a gut check, and I'm proud of the guys for hanging in there and getting this one," said Hinrich.

The Bulls owned a 37-30 lead midway through the second quarter following a 9-4 run, but Charlotte scored the next eight points and held a 40-39 edge two minutes prior to the intermission.

A 3-point play from Gasol then sent Chicago back in front, and the veteran forward tacked on three more points to send the Bulls into the break owning a 45-40 advantage.

Rose then began the second half on fire, dropping in eight points during an 11-3 spurt to start the third quarter that stretched Chicago's lead to 56-43. The Bulls missed their next six shots, though, as Charlotte countered with a 12-1 stretch that got the Hornets within two just past the halfway mark of the period.

Game Notes

Charlotte's last 10-game losing streak came from Feb. 20-March 9, 2013 ... Hinrich made 3-of-6 shots from 3-point range and chipped in 12 points ... Forward Marvin Williams returned for the Hornets after missing two straight games with a strained shoulder ... Chicago rookie Doug McDermott sat out a second straight night with a sore right knee ... The Bulls, now 10-3 on the road this season, have won in six of their last seven visits to Charlotte.