The Chicago Bulls are leading 23-16 after one period against the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night, riding the strong play of their post players to an early advantage. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah both played quite well in the first period, giving Chicago most of its points, but they've also struggled to stop the Hornets' Chris Kaman.
New Orleans struggled offensively in the first quarter, but Kaman has essentially carried them so far. The Bulls jumped out to an early 15-4 lead but couldn't pull away as the center fought to keep New Orleans in the game. Kaman is 5-of-6 from the field so far with 12 points, but the rest of the team is just 1-of-9 combined.
Boozer leads the Bulls in scoring thus far with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Noah has added six points and four rebounds on his own. Kaman has been the dominant force for the Hornets, scoring 12 of their 16 points so far.
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