On Tuesday night the Chicago Bulls will look tie the regular season series against the Charlotte Hornets at two games apiece. It will likely be a bit of an emotional night at the United Center, as Coby White will make his Hornets debut.
On Tuesday night the Chicago Bulls will look tie the regular season series against the Charlotte Hornets at two games apiece. It will likely be a bit of an emotional night at the United Center, as Coby White--who spent the first six and a half years of his career as a member of the Chicago Bulls--will be making his debut as a member of the Hornets.
Chicago will have to lock in defensively to limit a Charlotte squad that is coming off of putting up 129 points (in regulation) in a win over the Wizards. LaMelo Ball scored 37 points in that Hornets win, including going a ridiculous 10-15 from the 3-point line. Now on Tuesday, Chicago will have to run Ball off the 3-point line while also worrying about White's shotmaking.
Of course, we don't know exactly what White's role will look like in Charlotte, but one would expect him to come off the bench considering the chemistry the Hornets starters have built up, and the fact that he is coming off of an injury.
The Bulls are coming off of a six-point loss to the New York Knicks. Chicago put up surprisingly valiant effort against the Knicks, who are currently the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and have legitimate NBA Finals hopes.
Chicago--again, surprisingly--used defense to stay neck-and-neck with the Knicks for the most of the night, until a great Knicks' third quarter put the game away, with Chicago simply looking to mount a comeback that fell just short in the fourth.
Although the Bulls losing to the Knicks was predictable, no one would have predicted the box score that came from that game.
Patrick Williams dished out 8 assists, the second-highest total of his career. Guerschon Yabusele and Jalen Smith each collected 13 rebounds, helping a Bulls effort that saw them tie the Knicks in total rebounds and points in the paint. A repeat performance from Yabusele and Smith in the paint could be huge against a Hornets team that will have usual starting center and stellar rebounder Moussa Diabate returning to the rotation following a four-game suspension for fighting and escalating an altercation against the Detroit Pistons.
How to Watch
Chicago Bulls (23-34) @ Charlotte Hornets (27-31)
Location: United Center | Chicago, Illinois
Tipoff: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: Chicago Sports Network | Announcers: Adam Amin, Stacey King
Radio: WSCR AM 670 | Announcers: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington
Betting Odds (DraftKings)
Betting Line:Bulls +8.5 (-120)
Moneyline: Bulls +260
Over/Under: 232.5 (-112)
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Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
- Noa Essengue: Out For Season (Left Shoulder)
- Zach Collins: Out For Season (Right Big Toe)
- Tre Jones: OUT (Left Hamstring Strain)
- Jalen Smith: OUT (Calf)
Charlotte Hornets
- Liam McNeeley: OUT (Ankle)
Last Game Starters
Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks (Feb. 22)
- G Josh Giddey
- F Isaac Okoro
- F Guerschon Yabusele
- F Matas Buzelis
- F Jalen Smith
Charlotte Hornets vs. Washington Wizards (Feb. 22)
- G LaMelo Ball
- G Kon Knueppel
- F Brandon Miller
- F Grant Williams
- C Ryan Kalkbrenner