Preview: Magic at Bulls

[April 10, 2017]  The Chicago Bulls remain in a tight battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they begin a two-game homestand to end the regular season against the Orlando Magic on Monday. The Bulls split a four-game road trip against four non-playoff teams, with Saturday's one-point loss at Brooklyn one of the worst setbacks of the season.

With Dwyane Wade (elbow) back in the lineup following a lengthy layoff, Chicago blew a nine-point lead in the final four-plus minutes to fall into a tie with Miami for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, a game behind seventh-place Indiana. "We lost, there's nothing we can really do about it right now," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler told reporters of his team, which holds the tiebreaker with both the Pacers and the Heat. "We have to go get better. We were saying how we needed to get this one today and now we need these next two (games)." The Magic were able to take care of the Nets on Thursday before falling to Indiana 127-112 on Saturday. They are allowing an average of 119.9 points during a 1-6 slide.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE MAGIC (28-52): Orlando is one loss away from finishing with fewer than 30 wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Leading scorer Evan Fournier looks as if he wants to finish strong, scoring at least 20 points in six straight games and overcoming a wrist injury to pour in 23 against Indiana. Forward Terrence Ross bounced back from a five-point effort in the win over Brooklyn to produce a season-high 29 versus the Pacers, making 6-of-11 3-pointers.

ABOUT THE BULLS (39-41): Wade entertained thoughts of shutting things down last month but returned after Chicago went on a run to enhance its playoff aspirations and contributed 14 points and seven rebounds Saturday. "Elbow felt cool," Wade said after his first game since March 15. "It's just my legs. I'm trying to get my legs back and my wind back." Butler scored 33 points versus the Nets and has three 30-plus efforts in five games this month.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Butler is averaging 20.3 points - nearly four below his season average - while shooting 39.6 percent in three meetings with Orlando.

2. Magic PG Elfrid Payton has three double-doubles and one triple-double in his past five games.

3. Chicago needs to win out to finish with its ninth straight season of .500 or better.

PREDICTION: Bulls 111, Magic 97

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