Matchup Notes: Can the Chicago Bulls Solve the Math Problem in Charlotte and Snap Losing Skid?

After a four-day break, the healthier Chicago Bulls will head into enemy territory with hopes of snapping their seven-game losing streak.

How can they fly home winners? Let's talk about it.

What to Know Ahead Bulls vs. Hornets

• The Chicago Bulls will dodge two of Charlotte's top offensive playmakers tonight. LaMelo Ball has been ruled out for his second consecutive game with an ankle injury, while Collin Sexton will miss his third straight contest with a quad strain. While Ball has struggled to look like the same electric scoring threat this season, he still helped the Hornets grab an early lead in their first meeting with Chicago and finished with 8 assists. As for Sexton, he had a huge night off the bench with 21 points on 8-15 shooting from the field. As if tonight's game didn't already feel like a must-win for Chicago, there is essentially no excuse for losing to a Hornets team down two of their best backcourt players.

• Brandon Miller's best game of the season came in the Hornets' 123-116 victory over Chicago. He dropped 27 points on 10-19 shooting from the field, which included a 5-10 performance from downtown. Chicago's defense got increasingly worse on Miller as the night went on, as his off-ball movement led to some wide-open shots. Miller is the kind of jump shooter that can knock down some contested looks, and you'll have to live with that. But the Bulls have to take away the open attempts. He isn't the kind of shooter you want to get hot, and that's exactly what happened in the second half of their last battle.

• Speaking of hot shooting, Charlotte's November victory can really be boiled down to what happened behind the arc. While the Hornets only shot 33.3 percent, they still drained 15 shots and finished the evening a +21 from deep. This was enough to counteract the Bulls' impressive 74-56 advantage in the paint. The game simply became a math problem for Chicago, and Charlotte will hope to do the same thing tonight. They take 40.3 triples per game, which is the seventh-most in the NBA.

Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets faces off against the Chicago Bulls — Nov 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) looks to pass as he is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

• The good news is that those 74 paint points happened to be the most in any game for Chicago this season. Finding similar success tonight shouldn't be a problem, as the Hornets have given up the fifth-most points in the paint and have allowed teams to shoot just a smidge under 50 percent this season. So if the Bulls can knock down a few more open threes of their own, or simply do a better job running the Hornets off the line, they should have a good chance to snap their losing skid tonight.

• The Bulls should also have a clear advantage in the open floor. These are two teams that prefer to play at very different tempos. Charlotte holds the 24th-ranked PACE, while Chicago continues to sit second in the NBA. The Bulls had a 29-15 advantage in fastbreak points during their last battle, which undoubtedly played a role in their dominant night at the rim. They must force Charlotte to play their game. And, if they can do that, they could also even up with even more turnovers to capitalize on. The Hornets already commit the seventh-most turnovers a night and allow upwards of 20 points per game off those mistakes. The more they're out of their element, the harder it may be for them to hold onto the ball.

• Offensive rebounding has been a major problem for Chicago this season, and this happens to be one of the few things Charlotte does well. They hold the 6th-highest OREB% in the NBA and are Top 10 in second-chance points scored. Nikola Vucevic played a major role in making sure that this didn't become a difference-maker in the previous outing. He grabbed 14 rebounds, which included 4 on the offensive glass. Patrick Williams also did a nice job off the bench with three of his own offensive rebounds. To be sure, Charlotte still walked away a +3 in the second-chance department, but this isn't the reason the Bulls lost. Ensuring that's the case again tonight, everyone has to be crashing the glass hard.