Chicago 110, Charlotte 87

Dennis Rodman explains why the Bulls haven't lost yet.
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Game flow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Jordan scored 38 points in just 29 minutes as the unbeaten Chicago Bulls dismantled the Charlotte Hornets 110-87 on Friday night.

Jordan, playing in his home state of North Carolina, hit 15 of 25 shots also keyed a second-quarter run before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

"I felt good tonight," Jordan said. "I came out aggressive and looked for my shot and it felt good. We came out quick and wanted to put them away so we could get some rest before tomorrow night's game back home."

"Coaching against Michael Jordan ... what can I say?" Hornets coach Dave Cowens said. "He didn't miss many shots. He put a stamp on the game, made a statement. Typical Michael Jordan."

Scottie Pippen added 17 points and seven assists and Dennis Rodman grabbed 17 rebounds before both players sat out the final period with Jordan.

The Bulls, who are off to the best start in franchise history, remained the NBA's lone unbeaten team at 9-0.

"We can't look at records right now," Pippen said. "We have to take one game at a time. We know the 33 consecutive-win record is out there, but we are just trying to play each game as hard as possible."

Chicago, which set an NBA record with 72 victories last season, has beaten opponents by an average of 18 points this year. Chicago's closest game was a six-point win over Miami on Nov. 6.

Glen Rice had 21 points and Anthony Mason added 14 for the Hornets, who have dropped four in a row after opening the season 3-1.

"You can't start feeling sorry for yourself," Rice said. "You can't lose confidence and can't stop shooting.

"We didn't convert our shots. If we converted our shots the game would have been much closer."

Jordan had 14 in the first quarter as Chicago raced to a 26-18 lead after one quarter. But it was an 18-4 run midway through the second quarter that put the game out of reach.

Jason Caffey's jumper started the burst with 6:13 left in the half and Rodman's layup with 53 seconds remaining capped it. Jordan had nine points in the stretch that saw Chicago turn a seven-point lead into a 55-34 advantage.