Ball scores 24, Hornets bury Bulls early in 133-117 win

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and the Charlotte Hornets buried the Chicago Bulls early in a 133-117 win. The Hornets — 10th in the Eastern Conference and a game behind Brooklyn and Atlanta coming in — barely broke a sweat in this one. They led 79-51 through the first two quarters, the most points allowed in a half this season by Chicago, and handed the listless Bulls their fourth straight loss. Charlotte shot 60.5% and made 19 of 40 3-pointers, with Ball setting the tone. The All-Star point guard did all his scoring in the first half. He made 8 of 16 shots in the game, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, and finished with nine assists in 29 minutes. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 23 points.