Charlotte Hornets 131, Chicago Bulls 99. That scoreline tells you everything about how lopsided this one got. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 23 points, Kon Knueppel added 21 off the bench, and Miles Bridges chipped in 16 as the Hornets ran the Bulls off their own floor at the United Center in Chicago. Matas Buzelis dropped 32 for the Bulls, but it was a lone bright spot in a night that got very ugly — especially in the third quarter.
For the full breakdown of Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls match player stats from this Feb 24, 2026 blowout, you are in the right place.
Table of Contents
Final Score and Quarter by Quarter Breakdown
Quarter | Charlotte Hornets | Chicago Bulls |
|---|---|---|
Q1 | 31 | 31 |
Q2 | 25 | 24 |
Q3 | 42 | 16 |
Q4 | 33 | 28 |
Final | 131 | 99 |
The first half was actually competitive. Both teams were level after one quarter and separated by a single point at halftime. Then came the third quarter. Charlotte outscored Chicago 42 to 16 in those 12 minutes — a 26-point swing that buried any realistic comeback. That kind of quarter does not just end a game, it ends a team’s spirit.
Charlotte Hornets Player Stats
Starters
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brandon Miller | G | 23 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9/16 (56.3%) | 5/9 (55.6%) | +16 |
Miles Bridges | F | 16 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6/11 (54.5%) | 4/7 (57.1%) | +19 |
Grant Williams | F | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3/5 (60.0%) | 2/4 (50.0%) | +19 |
Josh Green | G | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 (66.7%) | 3/5 (60.0%) | +21 |
Moussa Diabate | C | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4/4 (100%) | — | +22 |
Bench
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kon Knueppel | F | 21 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7/12 (58.3%) | 3/6 (50.0%) | +24 |
Tre Mann | G | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/5 (60.0%) | 1/2 (50.0%) | -2 |
Pat Connaughton | G | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/7 (28.6%) | 1/5 (20.0%) | -9 |
Xavier Tillman | F | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 (33.3%) | 0/2 | -6 |
Sion James | G | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | -5 |
Ryan Kalkbrenner | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — | — | +10 |
Charlotte Team Stats Summary
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
Field Goal % | 51.6% (49/95) |
Three Point % | 43.9% (25/57) |
Free Throw % | 88.9% (8/9) |
Effective FG% | 64.7% |
True Shooting % | 66.2% |
Total Rebounds | 56 |
Offensive Rebounds | 14 |
Assists | 31 |
Steals | 13 |
Blocks | 8 |
Turnovers | 17 |
Bench Points | 46 |
Fast Break Points | 26 |
Second Chance Points | 23 |
Points in Paint | 42 |
Points off Turnovers | 29 |
Biggest Lead | 38 |
Chicago Bulls Player Stats
Starters
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matas Buzelis | G | 32 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13/19 (68.4%) | 6/11 (54.5%) | -7 |
Patrick Williams | F | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 (66.7%) | 3/5 (60.0%) | -4 |
Josh Giddey | G | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3/11 (27.3%) | 0/2 | -22 |
Isaac Okoro | F | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/6 (16.7%) | 1/5 (20.0%) | -33 |
Rob Dillingham | G | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2/9 (22.2%) | 0/2 | -21 |
Bench
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guerschon Yabusele | C | 11 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3/8 (37.5%) | 3/7 (42.9%) | -9 |
Collin Sexton | G | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4/9 (44.4%) | 2/5 (40.0%) | -16 |
Leonard Miller | F | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2/2 (100%) | 1/1 (100%) | +1 |
Tre Jones | G | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1/7 (14.3%) | 0/2 | -25 |
Chicago Team Stats Summary
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
Field Goal % | 42.7% (35/82) |
Three Point % | 40.0% (16/40) |
Free Throw % | 86.7% (13/15) |
Effective FG% | 52.4% |
True Shooting % | 55.9% |
Total Rebounds | 40 |
Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
Assists | 18 |
Steals | 9 |
Blocks | 1 |
Turnovers | 21 |
Bench Points | 30 |
Fast Break Points | 14 |
Second Chance Points | 10 |
Points in Paint | 36 |
Points off Turnovers | 13 |
Biggest Lead | 9 |
Head to Head Team Stats Comparison
Category | Charlotte Hornets | Chicago Bulls |
|---|---|---|
Points | 131 | 99 |
FG% | 51.6% | 42.7% |
3PT% | 43.9% | 40.0% |
FT% | 88.9% | 86.7% |
Effective FG% | 64.7% | 52.4% |
True Shooting % | 66.2% | 55.9% |
Total Rebounds | 56 | 40 |
Assists | 31 | 18 |
Steals | 13 | 9 |
Blocks | 8 | 1 |
Turnovers | 17 | 21 |
Bench Points | 46 | 30 |
Points in Paint | 42 | 36 |
Fast Break Pts | 26 | 14 |
2nd Chance Pts | 23 | 10 |
Pts off Turnovers | 29 | 13 |
Offensive Rating | 128.5 | 98.4 |
Defensive Rating | 98.4 | 128.5 |
AST/TO Ratio | 1.94 | 0.95 |
Charlotte won every meaningful category on that table. The Hornets out-rebounded the Bulls by 16, nearly doubled Chicago’s assist total, and turned the Bulls’ 21 turnovers into 29 points. That efficiency gap was enormous.
Game Context: How Did This Get Away From Chicago So Fast?
Coming into Feb 24, Charlotte had been playing some of the better basketball in the Eastern Conference’s lower half. The Hornets had just beaten Washington by 17 two days earlier at Capital One Arena, and that momentum carried straight into Chicago.
The Bulls, meanwhile, were lacking consistent offensive firepower outside of Buzelis. Their rotation struggled to generate anything sustainable once Charlotte turned it on.
The United Center crowd saw a competitive first quarter at 31 apiece. The second was tight too. But halftime scores of 56 to 55 in Charlotte’s favor masked how stretched Chicago already was defensively. The Hornets were shooting efficiently, moving the ball freely with fluid ball movement, and creating second chance opportunities off 14 offensive rebounds.
Then came the third.
Third Quarter: The Moment Charlotte Put the Lights Out
42 to 16.
That was the third quarter scoreline. Charlotte went on a 17-point unanswered run at one stage, pushing the lead out to 38 at its widest point. The Bulls had no answer for the Hornets’ pace, their three-point shooting, or the way Charlotte was converting off every turnover Chicago gave them.
Chicago turned it over 21 times in the game total. Charlotte turned those into 29 points. That is not just a turnover problem — that is a self-destruction problem.
Buzelis was the only Bull who genuinely competed for four quarters. His 32-point effort on 68.4% shooting was exceptional, but one player cannot plug every hole when a team is leaking from every direction.
Brandon Miller: Running the Show for Charlotte
Brandon Miller finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on a sharp 9 of 16 from the field. His three-point shooting was a key weapon: 5 for 9 from beyond the arc. Miller’s offensive rating for the night sat at 106.4, and his ability to create in both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble situations gave Charlotte a secondary scoring option that Chicago had no clean answer for.
This is the version of Miller that the Hornets need consistently. When he plays free and aggressive, the offense has a different texture — harder to guard, harder to predict.
Kon Knueppel Off the Bench: Best Plus/Minus of the Night
Knueppel finished with a +24 — the best plus/minus figure on either team. His 21 points came on 7 of 12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from three. He added 10 fast break points, which highlighted just how quickly Charlotte was pushing pace after getting stops.
The rookie has been building into his role steadily, and nights like this show exactly what he can bring when the game opens up. Fast break finishing, consistent three-point shooting, and two steals that fed directly into transition opportunities.
Moussa Diabate: The Quiet Stat Line That Dominated
Nobody is putting Diabate’s name in the headline. But look at his actual stat line:
- 9 points on a perfect 4 for 4 shooting
- 7 rebounds (3 offensive)
- 5 assists
- 3 steals
- 3 blocks
- +22 plus/minus
- True Shooting % of 92.2%
That is a near-flawless performance. His defensive contributions across steals and blocks helped generate 26 Charlotte fast break points as a direct result of quick turnovers into transition. For a player building toward a bigger role, this was the kind of game that gets coaches’ attention.
Matas Buzelis: Best Player on the Floor Who Still Lost by 32
There is no easy way to frame a 32-point performance on 68.4% shooting as a failure — and it was not. Buzelis was genuinely elite on this night. His 6 of 11 from three was lights-out, 7 rebounds added real value, and he kept competing through every stage of the blowout.
But the reality of his situation is clear: his -7 plus/minus is not a reflection of his individual play. It is a reflection of the gap between him and the rest of Chicago’s roster. He cannot be the only engine on this team.
Giddey finished with 8 points on 3 of 11 shooting and 5 turnovers. Dillingham was 2 for 9. Okoro 1 for 6. Those three starters combined for just 21 points on 26 shot attempts. That usage-to-production ratio is what buried Chicago long before the final buzzer.
Shooting Efficiency: Where the Real Gap Showed Up
Charlotte’s shooting in this game was elite by any measure.
Key Hornets shooting numbers:
- 88.9% at the rim (16 of 18 field goal attempts at the rim)
- 63.2% on two-point attempts overall
- 43.9% from three-point range
- 64.7% effective field goal percentage
- 66.2% true shooting percentage
Compare that to Chicago’s 62.5% at the rim and a 52.4% effective field goal percentage. Charlotte was not just making more shots — they were getting better shots. Their ball movement (31 assists on 49 makes, a 1.94 assist-to-turnover ratio) was the primary engine behind that shooting efficiency.
The Hornets posted an offensive rating of 128.5 for the game and a defensive rating of 98.4 — numbers that would look strong over a full season, let alone one game on the road.
Bench Battle: Not Even Close
Charlotte’s bench outscored Chicago’s bench 46 to 30. Knueppel’s 21 alone nearly matched Chicago’s total bench output.
Charlotte Bench | Chicago Bench | |
|---|---|---|
Total Points | 46 | 30 |
Top Scorer | Knueppel (21) | Yabusele (11) |
Second Scorer | Mann (7) | Sexton (10) |
Third Scorer | Connaughton (5) | L. Miller (5) |
When your second unit outscores the opponent’s bench by 16 points, the coaching staff has done something right with the rotation. Charlotte’s depth has been a real weapon, and it is something worth tracking over the rest of their season run.
Advanced Stats: Under the Hood
Metric | Charlotte | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
Offensive Rating | 128.5 | 98.4 |
Defensive Rating | 98.4 | 128.5 |
Possessions | 102.0 | 100.6 |
AST/TO Ratio | 1.94 | 0.95 |
Pts per Possession (Off) | 1.28 | 0.98 |
Pts per Possession (Def) | 0.97 | 1.30 |
Team Efficiency Score | 163 | 86 |
Game Score | 121.8 | 66.8 |
Charlotte’s efficiency score of 163 against Chicago’s 86 captures the full picture. The Hornets were nearly twice as efficient on a game-wide level. Their 1.94 assist-to-turnover ratio against Chicago’s 0.95 tells the story of a team that took care of the ball while the Bulls gave it away — and Charlotte made them pay every single time.
What This Win Means for Charlotte’s Season
The Hornets have been building quietly this season. A 32-point road blowout in Chicago is not an accident — it is a statement about where this team is trending.
Charlotte’s offensive rating of 128.5 in this game is the kind of number playoff-caliber teams post over stretches. Their 13 steals and 8 blocks showed a defensive unit that has sharpened its instincts and its help rotations. The Hornets were not just running up a score — they were playing with purpose on both ends.
The 46 bench points are also a clear signal that this is not a one-man show. Miller leads, but Knueppel, Bridges, Williams, and Diabate are all contributing in meaningful ways. That kind of balance is what separates teams that sustain good runs from those that fade the moment their top player has an off night.
For a deeper look at player performance data and stat comparisons across the NBA, TopHillSports covers detailed game logs and individual stat breakdowns throughout the 2025-26 season.
What Chicago Needs to Fix Going Forward
The Bulls clearly have a genuine talent in Buzelis. But 21 turnovers against a high-energy defensive team is a recipe for a blowout, and that is exactly what happened.
A few specific issues worth watching:
- Guard scoring consistency — Giddey, Dillingham, and Okoro combined for 21 points on 26 shot attempts from the starting lineup. That usage-to-production gap is a real problem.
- Turnover habits — 21 turnovers led to 29 Charlotte points. Ball security has to improve, especially against transition-heavy teams.
- Third quarter identity — Allowing 42 points in a single quarter is a breakdown at every level: rotations, effort, decision-making. Chicago gave up more points in Q3 alone than Charlotte scored in three quarters of the second half combined.
- Bench depth — Sexton and Yabusele gave something off the pine, but the quality drop-off in Chicago’s rotation is steep once you get past the top four or five names.
Until the supporting cast around Buzelis finds consistency, nights like Feb 24 are going to keep showing up on the schedule.
Final Takeaway
The Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls match player stats from Feb 24, 2026 tell the story of a team firing on all cylinders against a team that simply did not have enough to compete on this night. Charlotte’s 131 points came on elite shooting, relentless transition offense, and a dominant third quarter that turned a one-point halftime game into a 32-point statement win. Buzelis gave Chicago everything he had with 32 points on 68.4% shooting, but the Bulls’ guard rotation went cold, the turnovers piled up, and a 42-point third quarter from Charlotte sealed it before the fourth quarter even mattered. For Hornets fans, this one was a reminder of what this team is capable of. For Bulls fans, the film from this one is going to sting for a while.
