Hornets guard Kemba Walker
Both the Charlotte Hornets (2-2) and Chicago Bulls (0-3) are coming off losses on Monday and looking to rebound as they prepare to battle at United Center on Wednesday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte (in Hornets markets) and NBC Sports Chicago (in Bulls markets). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
How to Watch Hornets vs Bulls Online if You’re in Market
Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte (local markets) and NBC Sports Chicago (local markets) are included in the main Fubo bundle, which has 85 total channels and is tailored towards sports. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch games up to three days after they air even if you forgot to record them.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte (local markets) and NBC Sports Chicago (local markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
NBC Sports Chicago (local markets) is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package, but Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte is not. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
How to Watch Hornets vs Heat Online if You’re Out of Market
If you live outside of the Hornets or Bulls area, all out-of-market, non-nationally televised games can be watched through NBA League Pass. You can sign up and watch through a number of different platforms:
You can sign up for either NBA League Pass, which lets you watch all out-of-market games, or NBA Team Pass, which lets you watch all of one team’s games if they’re out of market. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the NBA.com website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NBA app.
If you have FuboTV or sign up for a new subscription, you can add NBA League Pass to your channel bundle. After signing up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Fubo website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Fubo app.
If you have Sling TV or sign up for a new subscription, you can add NBA League Pass or NBA Team Pass to your channel bundle. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling app.
Preview
After dropping 40 points on opening night 113-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Kemba Walker has only slightly cooled off in Charlotte’s last three games. Kemba turned in a 26-point performance in a 32-point win against the Orlando Magic on Friday, and 39-point effort in a 113-112 win against the Miami Heat on Saturday.
2017 first-round pick Malik Monk was disappointing as a rookie, averaging just 6.7 points per game. Monk has started 2018-19 a little consistently,but still suffers from the streaky problems that phased him in his first season. Despite a one-sided loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday in which Monk scored just 10 points, the Hornets coaching staff led by James Borrego is still trusting Monk to lead the second unit and have critical minutes at the end of games.
Monk’s chief competition for more minutes is Jeremy Lamb. Lamb has shot just 34% from the floor so far. Monk may have his struggles, but he provides a more explosive and “feast-or-famine” game than Lamb does, who regularly sides more toward “famine.”
Chicago has opened with three consecutive losses to the Philadelphia 76ers (127-108), Detroit Pistons (118-106) and Dallas Mavericks (115-109). Zach LaVine has been the team’s best player through three games, averaging the most points (32.3 PPG) and minutes (35.7).
After missing time due to the birth of his first child, point guard Kris Dunn returned on Monday, and scored just nine points in the loss to Dallas. On Tuesday, the Bulls announced Dunn will be out four to six weeks with a moderate MCL sprain.
At power forward, Jabari Parker had his best game of the season scoring 20 points against the Mavericks. Bobby Portis, despite a six-point output on Monday, is still averaging a double-double (12.7 points, 11 rebounds) through three games. Portis provides more utility between the two, as he is a much better rebounder, although Parker still has untapped potential and possible upside. It is worth exploring while Lauri Markkanen (elbow) remains out until November, maybe December.
Key Matchup: Chicago has to contain Walker, which won’t be an easy task. Both Dunn and LaVine aren’t great defenders, which means Chicago will likely have to deploy help and trap Kemba in order to get the ball out of his hands. Chicago does have body depth in the frontcourt, which matches up well with Hornets center Cody Zeller. The more head coach Fred Hoiberg can get his team to execute, the more likely the Bulls are to pick up their first win of the season.