The jarring sights weren't limited to Tony Parker in a Hornets uniform on Wednesday night at the United Center.
Cristiano Felicio drew first-quarter minutes. Cameron Payne started. The Bulls played some entertaining basketball.
Oh, and they won, cracking the victory column for the first time in four games this season with a 112-110 victory over the Hornets on Wednesday night at the United Center thanks to Zach LaVine and, yes, Payne.
LaVine forced a turnover on an inbounds play to Kemba Walker with five seconds left that video review upheld and then he sank the winning free throws with 0.5 seconds left to cap his 32-point night. LaVine actually tried to miss the second free throw intentionally to run out the clock. But his shot banked off the backboard, hit the rim hard and fell in.
LaVine, who scored 10 fourth-quarter points including the Bulls' final six, joins Michael Jordan as the only players in franchise history to open the season with at least four 30-point games.
Payne added a career-high 21 points, tying a franchise-record with seven 3-pointers in the second half.
"This feels real good," Payne said.
Granted, this is already the third time in four games that Payne, the much maligned guard, has started.
But the first two instances were temporary with Kris Dunn on paternity leave. Now, with Dunn sidelined four to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, it has the feel of something more permanent.
"Just be aggressive. Run the team. Get us in sets. Lock up on the defensive end," Payne said of his mindset. "I'm always excited to play."
After going scoreless in the first half as reserve Ryan Arcidiacono outplayed him, Payne tied a franchise record with five 3-pointers in the third quarter. Payne sank six straight overall after opening the season missing his first seven, including his first three attempts Wednesday.
"Scoring kind of just comes with the flow of the game," Payne said. "If Zach has it going, obviously, you have to keep going until the fire gets out. There are opportunities at times for point guards to be aggressive."
As for Felicio, he leapfrogged Robin Lopez in the rotation for his first action of the season. Felicio, who missed the first two games with a sprained ankle and didn't play by coach's decision last game, scored six first-quarter points and nine overall as the Bulls' bench came up big.
Along with strong efforts from Jabari Parker, Arcidiacono and Chandler Hutchison, the Bulls' reserves outscored the Hornets' 35-11 in the first half and 42-37 overall. Arcidiacono posted his career-high with 10 points.
Parker played despite missing the morning shootaround because of an upper respiratory infection and produced his most active outing of the young season. Beyond his 11 points, nine assists and four rebounds, Parker competed defensively. In one sequence, he switched onto the smaller and much quicker Kemba Walker and forced a miss with strong footwork.
In his second straight active outing, the rookie Hutchison elevated to throw down a monstrous slam off a feed from Arcidiacono. LaVine and Bobby Portis matched Hutchison with poster dunks in the third quarter.
Yes, the Bulls played an engaged and exciting game.
Hoiberg utilized LaVine at point guard occasionally, pushing Payne off the ball. But this is Payne's extended opportunity to prove he belongs.
"We need him to be solid and have an aggressive mindset as far as getting into the paint. He has to set the table," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Again, he's the head on both sides of the floor getting the ball up with pace offensively and then defensively setting the tone for us picking up the ball."
Portis exited the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. Hoiberg said afterward Portis will get an MRI on it Thursday morning.
