Hornets get into win column with evisceration of Bulls

The Charlotte Hornets got off the schneid in a big way Tuesday night, at the expense of the Chicago Bulls. After narrowly losing three straight to start the season, the Hornets beat up on the Bulls, leading wire to wire on their way to a 130-105 win.

The Bulls, who fell to 3-2, looked nothing like the Bulls we've come to know over the past several years. The 130 points are the most they've surrendered in a non-overtime game since March 2010. They allowed the Hornets to shoot an absurd 61 percent (14-of-23) from 3-point range. They got hammered on the glass, losing the offensive rebounding battle 12-4. They shot just eight free throws. It's early yet, but these are troubling signs for Fred Hoiberg's troops.

"Nobody had each other's back," Hoiberg said after the game. "We had no fight, no resolve. We'll see what we're made of now."

Most troubling, perhaps, is that Derrick Rose continued to slump, managing just four points on 2-of-8 shooting, with nary a free-throw attempt. He's said his vision still isn't right as he deals with the fallout of a fractured left orbital bone, but he's plainly still hesitant about going strong to the hoop and absorbing contact. That wouldn't be as much of an issue if his shot was falling, but after Tuesday's 0-for-3 performance, he's now missed all eight of his 3-point attempts on the season. Coming on the heels of eight- and six-point outings, he's now failed to crack double-digit scoring in three straight games for the first time in his career.

Rose missed nearly all of the preseason while recovering from surgery, and for now he's blaming his struggles on his lack of conditioning.

The Hornets, meanwhile, were absolutely torrid, with a balanced scoring attack that saw seven players reach double figures. Along with that 3-point barrage, they hit 51.6 percent from the field overall, and 22-of-23 from the line.

They were led, improbably, by Jeremy Lamb, whose surprising three-year, $21-million extension looked - for a night at least - like it may end up being a major bargain. Lamb went 9-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from downtown for 20 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 26 minutes.

Whether it was because Tom Thibodeau gave Hornets coach Steve Clifford the book on his former team, or because the Hornets were taking out their frustration after letting three winnable games slip away, this night belonged to them. They can say it proudly: The goose egg is no more. Charlotte is 1-3.