(SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets are still waiting for the Lance Stephenson experiment to pay major dividends and will try to stop a nine-game losing streak Wednesday versus the visiting Chicago Bulls.
The Hornets have three straight chances at home to stop the losing streak and will also host New York and Boston. They have lost five in a row at home and are 3-6 at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Stephenson and the Hornets are coming off Saturday's 105-75 beatdown at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, and the first-year Hornet had just six points, three assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes. Stephenson has scored in single digits three times over the last four games and is posting an average of 9.6 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds with 5.4 assists.
Charlotte landed Stephenson this offseason in hopes of heading back to the postseason playing alongside Al Jefferson. Jefferson has kept up his end of the bargain and recorded 11 points against the Hawks. Jefferson leads the Hornets with 20.0 points
The Hornets shot 33 percent and made only 5-of-23 3-pointers against the Hawks. P.J. Hairston scored 15 points and Gerald Henderson netted 14 for the Hornets, who were coming off close losses to Golden State and Portland. The Hornets were down by more than 40 points in the second half.
"Right now it doesn't matter what you tweak if you don't show up and play," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "You have to give a professional effort, and that was not a professional effort."
Clifford's squad is off to a disappointing 4-14 start.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (foot), Marvin Williams (shoulder) and Gary Neal (shoulder) are still bothered by injuries. Williams and Neal are questionable versus the Bulls.
Charlotte lost 10 in a row from Feb. 20-March 9, 2013.
After a quick stop at home, the Bulls are back on the road, where they went 4-3 on an annual circus trip. The Bulls dropped a 132-129 double-overtime decision to the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday at the United Center.
The Bulls needed a 34-28 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to send the game into an extra period and both teams put up 13 points in the first OT. Mavs guard Monta Ellis scored a season-high 38 points and was clutch from the foul line to send the game into another stanza.
Ellis buried a big 3-pointer in the second OT to fend off Chicago, which was led by Pau Gasol's 29 points and 14 rebounds.
"It would have felt better if we won the game," Gasol said of his night. "Unfortunately we lost."
Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Mike Dunleavy added 20 and Derrick Rose finished with 10 and 10 assists. Rose banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in the first overtime.
Chicago, which shot 45.6 percent and had 50-36 edge in the paint, will return home for three games versus Golden State, Brooklyn and Portland.
The Bulls won three of four meetings with Charlotte last season and are 10-2 in the last 12 games in this series. Chicago has won six of the last eight trips to the Tar Heel State.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.