CHICAGO – Josh Giddey had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and the Chicago Bulls defeated the struggling Charlotte Hornets 109-95 on Friday night.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 19 points as Chicago rebounded from two straight losses. Coby White added 18 points.

Giddey and Dosunmu each hit three 3-pointers for the Bulls, who led most of the way and handed the Hornets their 13th loss in 16 games.

Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 21 points, Mark Williams had 15. Miles Bridges added 14 points and nine rebounds after missing 10 games with a bruised right knee.

Former Bull Taj Gibson received a standing ovation when he entered the game with about a minute left.

Take away

Hornets: Even though they are doing better after serious injuries, the Hornets can’t get star guard LaMelo Ball back fast enough. The NBA’s third-leading scorer missed his seventh straight game with a left calf strain.

Bulls: The Bulls were aggressive, taking control early and withstanding several minor knocks en route to a fairly easy win.

Key moment

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball had the crowd cheering late in the first half when he rushed to track down a loose ball near midcourt and connected with Zach LaVine for a thunderous alley-oop dunk.

After Miller hit a 13-footer for Charlotte, Dosunmu made a layup. Bridges was called for a technical after missing a drive. LaVine hit the free throw with 18 seconds left to make it 59-42, but was called for a pass, which led to a floater for Miller at the halftime siren that cut the lead to 15.

Key statistics

The Bulls blocked a season-high 11 shots, with Jalen Smith setting a career-high with five blocked shots. He also had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Next

The Hornets host Philadelphia on Monday, while the Bulls visit Toronto that evening.

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