CHARLOTTE—Triple-doubles, flying elbows, two ejections and a revved-up crowd cheering until the end.Even Michael Jordan was there sitting courtside.It may only be December, but Friday night’s game between the Charlotte Hornets and Bulls had all of the intensity of a postseason game.Nic Batum had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season, and the Hornets beat the Bulls 103-91 for their third straight victory.

”That was like a playoff game tonight,” Batum said. ”The crowd was into it and it was a good team in front of us. That’s a great game for us to get a win against.”

It didn’t come easily.Charlotte had to hold off the Bulls in the fourth quarter in a game that ended with Robin Lopez and Taj Gibson getting ejected.The normally mild-mannered Lopez could face a suspension from the league after he simultaneously elbowed Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams in the face – using both elbows – with 38 seconds left and the outcome already decided. Gibson, who had picked up a technical foul for arguing a call earlier in the fourth quarter, got his second and was ejected when he debated the call.After watching the replay, referees sent Lopez to the locker room with a flagrant 2 foul.Lopez wouldn’t say exactly what set him off.

”It was pretty contentious out there. We had tempers flare,” Lopez said. ”Basketball is a passionate game and I play with passion.”

Gibson was more outspoken.

”They can’t let the game get out of hand like that,” Gibson said of the referees. ”Guys are throwing elbows and throwing cheap shots. That’s what I said, `They got to do a better job.”’

Kemba Walker chipped in with 20 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots for Charlotte (17-13).The Hornets had a crucial four-point swing go their way with 3 minutes left when Batum hustled down the floor to block the 7-foot Lopez’s layup off a fast break. Walker then converted a reverse layup on the other end.Despite the efforts of Jimmy Butler, who drained back-to-back jumpers, the Bulls could never quite claw back in it after that.Dwyane Wade played despite battling a migraine headache most of the day and had 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. … The Bulls outrebounded the Hornets 52-48.Former Bull Marco Belinelli left the game in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return. He hopped on one foot to the locker room after coming down wrong on his foot. … Before the game, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg called Walker one of the best guards in the NBA, saying, ”he’s a guy that can take over games at any time. He can get into the paint. He does a great job getting into the bigs’ bodies, keeping them off, where he can finish at the rim.”

The Hornets held the Bulls to 39.6 percent shooting and blocked a season-high 13 shots.Jimmy Butler had 26 points for the Bulls (14-15), who have lost five of their last six to fall below .500 for the first time this season. Butler has scored at least 20 points in 24 of the team’s 29 games this season.The Hornets have a tough stretch coming up, including a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.The Bulls will travel to San Antonio for a Christmas day matinee game against the San Antonio Spurs.

HONOLULU—Freshman Charles Minlend scored a career-high 17 points and Frankie Ferrari had a career-high 16 as San Francisco defeated Illinois State 66-58 in the Diamond Head Classic Friday night.San Francisco (10-2) will play San Diego State in the tournament’s championship game on Christmas night. The Dons shot 14 for 26 from the free throw line.Ferrari scored eight points off the bench in the first half and was a starter in the second half.After a Ferrari steal he sprinted the other way and dished to Nate Renfro for a layup to give San Francisco a 52-47 lead with 6:27 to play. Matt McCarthy finished with 11 points and 11 boards for the Dons.Deontae Hawkins’s 3 brought Illinois State to within 61-55 with 45 seconds to play and Paris Lee hit a 3 nine seconds later to make it 62-58.MiKyle McIntosh led the Redbirds with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Hawkins added 12 points and 10 boards.

LAS VEGAS—Alize Johnson scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds and Obediah Church scored 16 on 6-for-7 shooting and Missouri State controlled most of the way in a 69-58 win against DePaul in the Las Vegas Classic Friday night.Johnson’s 3-point play started a 20-8 Bears run to put them up 37-25 at halftime. Brandon Cyrus made a pair of free throws and a jumper, reducing DePaul’s deficit to 39-33.But Missouri State got a pair of layups from Ryan Kreklow, and Church’s 3-point play gave the Bears a 46-33 lead. R.J. Currington’s layup after an offensive board brought the Blue Demons to within 52-43. Eli Cain added a dunk and Cyrus’s layup made it 53-47.Johnson had a pair of free throws, Church added a dunk and Jarred Dixon’s layup pushed Missouri State’s lead to 63-51. Billy Garrett Jr.’s 3 with 2:20 to go marked the last time the Blue Demons would get the deficit to single digits at 65-56.Garrett finished with 16 points.

LAS VEGAS—Jordon Varnado scored all 21 of his points in the second half when Troy pulled away from Chicago State 83-65 on Friday.The Trojans’ victory came in the championship game of the ”Visitors’ Finals” at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.Kevin Baker made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, and Wesley Person and Jeremy Hollimon each scored 14 for Troy (8-6), which was 13 of 30 from the arc.Fred Sims Jr. had five 3-pointers and 21 points to lead the Cougars (4-10). Delundre Dixon and Trayvon Palmer added 12 points each. Deionte Simmons grabbed 10 rebounds.Chicago State scored back-to-back baskets to open the second half and tie the game at 40. But Baker made a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Troy the lead for good. A 10-0 run bookended by a 3-pointer and a layup by Varnado put Troy in front by 20 with five minutes left.

HONOLULU—Deontae Hawkins had 16 points and Illinois State scored 18 straight points in the second half to beat Hawaii 71-45 in the quarterfinals of the Diamond Head Classic on Thursday night.Phil Fayne scored 14 Madison Williams added 11 points for the Redbirds (7-3), who advanced to the semifinals to face San Francisco on Friday night. The Rainbow Warriors (4-6) will host Utah in the consolation bracket.ISU scored the first 10 points of the game and led the entire way. The Redbirds held Hawaii to 25.5 percent shooting and had their largest lead at 69-36.The Rainbow Warriors closed within 14 on Brocke Stepteau’s 3-pointer with 15:10 left in the second half. That was Hawaii’s last field goal until Matthew Owies’ putback with 1:54 left ended a streak of 15 missed shots from the field.Stepteau, Noah Allen and Gibson Johnson had 10 points each for Hawaii.

EVANSTON—Scottie Lindsey had 19 points, Isiah Brown added 12 and Northwestern overcame a sluggish first half for a 72-63 victory over Houston Baptist on Thursday night.Sanjay Lumpkin and Vic Law had 11 points apiece as the Wildcats (11-2) won their eighth straight game.

”Certainly, I feel fortunate with the outcome; we had a lot of things going against us there tonight,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. ”The thing I was proud of at halftime was we didn’t panic. What we tried to talk about was there was still 20 minutes to play.”

Colter Lasher and Atif Russell had 13 points apiece for HBU (4-6).Before Thursday, HBU had allowed opponents to shoot a blistering 48.7 percent from the field, but Northwestern made only 8 of 30 (26.7 percent) first-half shots. Lindsey, Law and Bryant McIntosh – the Wildcats’ top three scorers – were a combined 4-for-23 before the break.HBU, which led by as many as 12 points, took a 35-25 halftime lead.Lumpkin opened the second half scoring with a 3-pointer and, roughly seven minutes later, his putback of a McIntosh miss gave the Wildcats a 45-44 lead – their first since early in the first half.Russell put the Huskies back on top with a fast-break dunk with just over 12 minutes to play, but Lindsey gave NU the lead for good with a 3-pointer to make it 48-46 with 11:17 remaining.HBU, which shot 53.8 percent in the first half, went cold midway through the second. The Huskies were scoreless for 3:28 and were held without a field goal for 5:39 as Northwestern took command.

”We just had a hard time getting going,” Collins said. ”I thought we had really good looks throughout the course of the game and we couldn’t throw it in the ocean.We finally did enough to get the lead. I never felt like we shot the ball well the entire night.”

HBU: The Huskies suffered a 43-point loss at Indiana on Dec. 10, but were much more competitive against this Big Ten opponent. Still, Northwestern’s talent and depth showed in the second half as HBU’s double-digit lead became a double-digit deficit. Things could have been ugly if Northwestern shot better.With the holidays and the Big Ten season fast approaching, it’s not surprising that the Wildcats weren’t at their best against HBU. How successful their season is will depend on how they play in conference. ”To be 11-2 with the schedule we’ve played, I’m very pleased with the position we’re in heading into the Big Ten,” Collins said. ”But like I told our guys, it’s a new battle starting next Tuesday.”

The Wildcats begin their Big Ten schedule at Penn State on Tuesday.

All the Washington Wizards want for Christmas is Bradley Beal and John Wall at their healthy best.That’s what Washington got in a 107-97 victory over the Bulls on Wednesday night, when the Beal-Wall backcourt combined for 44 points, 14 assists, five steals and only four turnovers. The Wizards are 13-11 when both are in the starting lineup.

”We made a conscious effort about a dozen or 14 games ago to play faster,” coach Scott Brooks said. ”We’ve got all this athleticism and we have one of the fastest point guards (Wall) in the league. We want to be able to utilize it every trip down the court.”

Wall finished with 23 points and nine assists, while Beal totaled 21 points and five assists. Neither played in the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 12, which the Bulls won 106-95 in Chicago.

”We are a totally different team when me and (Beal) are rolling,” said Wall, who did not attempt a shot in the opening 9:30, then scored 19 points in the final three quarters.

Washington also received a boost from reserves Trey Burke and Marcus Thornton, who sparked a key burst early in the fourth quarter. After the teams entered the period tied at 77, the two combined for 10 points to give the Wizards a 91-85 lead.Dwyane Wade’s jump shot closed the gap to 97-93 with 2:54 left, but Beal, Marcin Gortat and Wall followed with baskets to seal it.

”(Wall) is the head of their snake over there,” Wade said. ”And Bradley Beal has been playing amazing.”
Wade wants his hometown fans to be more supportive. The Chicago Bulls guard told reporters Wednesday that he was not thrilled with the United Center crowd booing them last Friday during their 95-69 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I’m an honest guy,” Wade said,. “I was very disappointed our fans booed us. We’re trying to figure it out. We win home games against Cleveland, San Antonio. And then we get our butts kicked against Milwaukee. I don’t think we deserved to get booed. We’re out here trying. I’d like to see more patience and more support from everybody. Like I said at the beginning of the year, we’re not winning a championship today. We’re not winning a championship tomorrow. We got stages and levels to get to where we want to get to. And everyone gotta understand that.”

Gortat had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Burke scored 10 and Thornton six.

”There were so many parts of the game that were great for us tonight,” Brooks said. ”Guys off the bench were terrific.”

Jimmy Butler led a balanced offense with 20 points, and Wade added 19. Rajon Rondo had 10 assists.The Wizards overcame an early 13-point deficit to post their fourth victory in five games. They are 3-9 on the road.The Bulls lost for the fourth time in five games to conclude a 1-2 homestand.The Bulls jumped out to a 33-22 lead on the strength of 62.5 percent shooting from the field. Butler and Taj Gibson led the way with nine and eight points, respectively.In the second quarter, Wall capped a late 9-0 run with a fast-break dunk that gave his team a one-point advantage.After a timeout, the Bulls regrouped to take a 56-55 lead at halftime.

”We allowed them to get the momentum going into the half,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ”We lost our pace and never regained it.”

Wall was whistled for his eighth technical foul, one fewer than Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins, the NBA leader. … F Otto Porter (back spasms) sat out the second half. … G-F Danuel House (broken right wrist) remained out.The Bulls fell to 5-1 when Rondo has at least 10 assists. He shot 1 for 10 from the field … G Michael Carter-Williams (sprained left wrist) could resume 2-on-2 drills this week.The Bulls have lost five of their last nine at home, where lethargic crowds have been the rule of late. ”Fans aren’t cheering, but we have to give them a reason to cheer,” Gibson said. ”We have to play better.” The Bulls have a road game against Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Derick Brassard and Tom Pyatt scored 10 seconds apart during Ottawa’s three-goal second period, and the Senators beat the Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday night for their third consecutive victory.Bobby Ryan added a goal and an assist as Ottawa stopped a seven-game road losing streak against the Hawks, earning its first win at the United Center since March 28, 2001. Dion Phaneuf scored a power-play goal, and Kyle Turris had two assists.Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and Richard Panik scored for the Blackhawks, who had won five in a row and six of seven. Scott Darling made 26 saves while dropping to 6-3-1 in 10 starts since Corey Crawford had an emergency appendectomy on Dec. 3.The Hawks played without center Artem Anisimov for the second straight game due to an injury, and forward Marian Hossa left in the first period. The Blackhawks did not provide a reason for Hossa’s departure.Panik’s ninth of the season on a delayed penalty made it 4-3 just 1:42 into the third, but the Blackhawks couldn’t come up with the tying score despite putting heavy pressure on Mike Condon in the final minutes. Panik had a shot go off the left post and Condon stopped a penalty shot by Marcus Kruger with 4:52 left.Condon made 23 saves after getting the win in relief of Andrew Hammond in Sunday’s 6-2 victory against the New York Islanders. Hammond departed in the first period of that game with an ankle injury, but coach Guy Boucher said he doesn’t think it’s a long-term thing.Panarin’s one-timer – a laser from just outside the faceoff dot in the left circle – tied it at 1 at 11:17 of the first. It was Panarin’s fifth goal and 12th point in his last six games.It was still tied in the second when Brassard drove a pass from Chris Wideman past Darling for his seventh of the season just one second after a hooking penalty on Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews ran out.Moments after the ensuing faceoff, Ottawa drove right back down the ice and Pyatt showed off some nifty stickwork on the right side of the net for his fourth goal of the season at 7:41.Motte got one back for the Hawks when Vinnie Hinostroza’s deflected shot went right to him, setting up his first goal since Nov. 1 against Calgary. The rookie forward punctuated the score with a big upper cut as he skated behind the Ottawa net.Clinging to a 3-2 lead, the Senators then made the most of their third power-play opportunity of the night. With Brent Seabrook in the box for tripping, Turris’ big drive went off Phaneuf’s left knee and past Darling on glove side at 14:22.

NOTES—Crawford participated in the morning skate and could return Friday against Colorado. … Senators F Mike Hoffman returned to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for cross-checking San Jose F Logan Couture. … Seabrook got his 300th career assist on Panarin’s goal. … The Senators recalled G Matt O’Connor from Binghamton of the AHL to back up Condon….The Blackhawks host Colorado on Friday night.

For the “Dow Jones” Bulls, snapping out of their recent slump was as simple as putting the ball in the basket.Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, Rajon Rondo had 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, and the Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 113-82 on Monday night to end a three-game losing streak.

”Everything looks better when you’re making shots,” Butler said. ”If you’re not making shots, it’s hard to win.”

Taj Gibson added 16 points, Robin Lopez had 14 and Dwyane Wade, Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic had 13 apiece, which had lost six of eight.Jon Leuer scored 16 points for the Pistons, who have dropped three straight and four of five.

”We got crushed,” Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. ”It was a disgusting performance by all of us, me included. I mean, it was unprofessional, embarrassing, humiliating. Whatever you want to say, it was terrible.It looks to me like a lack of effort and a lack of heart. And if you don’t play hard, you’re not going to have any confidence. We looked like we were hoping the game would be easy tonight, and it wasn’t. And we just caved.”

After scoring just 69 points in a 26-point loss to Milwaukee on Friday, the Bulls busted out for 69 points in the first two quarters, their best for any half this season.The Bulls, who entered tied for sixth-worst in the NBA with a .436 field-goal percentage, made 17 of 21 shots (81 percent) in taking a 35-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.The Bulls had 15 assists on their 17 field goals, with Rondo (seven) and Butler (six) leading the way.

”That ball was moving so rapidly and everybody was getting rhythm shots,” Butler said. ”When you see your first few go in, it’s a long night for whoever’s guarding you.”

The Bulls still were shooting a blistering 72.7 percent at halftime – they led 69-34 – and even managed to knock down 4 of 6 3-pointers, which had been a problem during their recent struggles.The lead was 97-63 entering the fourth quarter, and the Pistons offered little resistance from there. None of the Bulls starters played in the fourth.

”Give the guys a lot of credit for stepping up,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ”Last week was an embarrassing week for everybody.”

The Pistons held a players-only meeting following Saturday’s 15-point home loss to Indiana, but Van Gundy didn’t place much significance on it. ”Team meeting my (butt),” he said. ”Like I said before, that stuff means nothing. It’s what you do on the court. Talking’s easy.” The Bulls shot a season-best 59.8 percent from the field and tied a season high with 34 assists. Their 15 first-quarter assists are tied (with Golden State) for the most assists in a quarter this season. . Their previous high for a half was 65 points in the first half of a game Oct. 31 at Brooklyn.After not playing the previous two games (both coach’s decisions), Mirotic entered the game with 3:39 left in the first quarter. He hit his first three shots, including a 3-pointer, and finished with 10 points in 12 first-half minutes.

”The big thing was the way he performed at practice,” Hoiberg said. ”He has been coming in to get to work. He was the first guy in the gym four or five straight days. I wanted to get him back in there and he hit a couple of shots.”

A large portion of the Bulls three-hour practice on Sunday was watching lowlights of the 95-69 loss to Milwaukee on Friday.
”Everybody came in with an open mind, took the criticism that they deserved and learned from it and got better,” Butler said.
The Bulls conclude a three-game homestand against Washington on Wednesday night.

ROSEMONT—Billy Garrett Jr. scored 19 points and made the go-ahead free throw with 44 seconds left to lift DePaul over Southeast Missouri State 81-78 in Monday night’s Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic game.Trailing by five at halftime, DePaul closed to 57-55 on Eli Cain’s 3, then led 62-60 on R.J. Curington’s layup. Daniel Simmons’ 3 put the Redhawks back on top, but Cain hit back-to-back 3s amid a 10-2 run and DePaul led 72-67.The Redhawks scored eight straight and led 78-77 on Antonius Cleveland’s dunk with 58 seconds left. Garrett made two free throws to give DePaul a 79-78 edge, then Tre’Darius McCallum made two more to seal it. Jamaal Calvin’s game-tying 3 attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.Cain scored 15 and Curington had 13 for the Blue Demons (7-4).Cleveland scored a career-high 28 points and Calvin added 20 with a career-high six 3-pointers for the Redhawks (4-8), who have lost five straight.