Hawks-Bulls Preview
Bruised and battered - physically and mentally - from a miserable trip, the Chicago Bulls return home looking to salvage something positive before the All-Star break.
Things aren't as rough for the Atlanta Hawks, but they're also feeling frustrated following back-to-back defeats.
The Bulls can avert their longest home skid in six years by avoiding a season-high fourth consecutive defeat overall Wednesday night against the Hawks.
A loser in 12 of 17, Chicago (27-24) sits seventh in the Eastern Conference after Monday's 108-91 loss to Charlotte concluded a 2-5 trip.
"You've got to be upset," said center Pau Gasol, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds. "It's up to us to get out of it ... We've got to do it together."
The Bulls' season-long road stretch proved to be a grueling one.
All-Star Jimmy Butler missed the last two games after suffering a left knee strain in Friday's 115-110 loss at Denver and will be sidelined the next three to four weeks. Derrick Rose sat Monday with general soreness after he averaged 20.6 points in the previous five contests.
Though the Bulls shot a respectable 44.8 percent for the trip, their last six opponents averaged 110.3 points and made 47.7 percent of their attempts.
"We have to put this trip behind us,'' coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''It was a long, grinding trip. It took a toll on our guys.''
It remains to be seen if Chicago can recover in time to rebound in this final contest before the break. The Bulls haven't dropped four straight since December 2013 and five in a row at home since March 2010.
The Bulls have averaged 85 points and shot 37.6 percent while losing their last three home games to Dallas, Golden State and Miami.
"It's rough," forward Taj Gibson said. "We've just got to figure out how to win one quarter at a time. We've got to be better."
Chicago's lost three of four to Atlanta (30-24), which led by 11 after one quarter and shot 52.1 percent - third-highest by a Bulls' opponent - in a 120-105 victory Jan. 9. Al Horford had a season-high 33 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
Horford scored 27, Paul Millsap had 22 with 13 boards and Jeff Teague added 21 points Monday but the Hawks lost to Orlando for the second time in as many days, 117-110 in overtime. Atlanta never led by more than two in Sunday's 96-94 road loss and failed to hold a 20-point advantage in the rematch.
''We lost our focus at times,'' Horford said. ''We've had this problem ... It's hard to take.''
The Magic shot 49.5 percent Monday, owned a 29-18 scoring advantage in the fourth and became the first Atlanta opponent in five games to score more than 97 points.
''I think we've got to be better late in games - myself, the players, everybody," said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, whose team has dropped seven of 11.
Ex-Bull Kyle Korver went 4 of 6 from 3-point range for 16 points Monday. He's shot 52.2 percent from beyond the arc in 11 games against the Bulls since leaving Chicago after 2011-12, but has scored more than 10 points once in the five road meetings.
Gasol totaled 40 points and 28 rebounds in two at home against Atlanta last season.