LDN - Sports

Bulls blow by Magic

[November 04, 2017] ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Chicago Bulls needed one like this to give their rebuilding plan a little momentum.

The Bulls hammered the upstart Orlando Magic, 105-83, Friday night, dominating with the defense and energy they will need this season to avoid a long cold winter of losing as they restructure their once-proud franchise.

Justin Holiday scored 19 points and David Nwaba added 16 points for the Bulls (2-5) as they raced to a surprisingly easy victory over the Magic (6-3), who came into the game as the highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference.

"We took a big step forward tonight," Holiday said. "That builds confidence. It's the best we've played so far. If we can play aggressive defense like we did tonight, and play together like this, we can be a tough team to beat. We have some good young players here."

The Bulls never trailed after grabbing the lead early in the second half, breezing past the beaten-down Magic in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as 24 points.

Center Robin Lopez had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago. Rookie Lauri Markkanen had 13 points and nine rebounds. Reserve Kris Dunn scored 11 points and hit three of his five 3-point attempts. Paul Zipser had 10 and Denzel Valentine had 11. There was balance they had not seen earlier.

"Everybody played together," Lopez said. "You could see the team defense when everyone has each other's back. You can build on defense like we played tonight. That's the sign of a team putting it together."

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 21 points. He hit nine of 17 shots. Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and made six of 11 shots.

The Magic, who came into the game averaging 114.9 points, scored just 19 points in the second quarter and 15 in the third. They shot just 40.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from the 3-point line.

"Winning is not easy in this league. Every night you've got somebody who is hungry, regardless of their record or pedigree," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "You've got to play well to get the W. We weren't making shots and fell into some bad habits, and that's part of the offensive woes."

The Bulls shot 47.1 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from the 3-point line (14 of 29). Markkanen made three of his four 3-pointers, while Dunn made three of five and Valentine made three of six.

"I was really happy with the way we came out tonight," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Our grit and energy, intensity on the defensive end, I thought was excellent. You talk a lot in this business about team wins, and this was a true team win tonight. We saw some great signs out there tonight."

The Bulls led 73-60 going into the fourth quarter. Lopez scored nine points in the third when the Bulls took control. The Magic scored only eight points in the first seven minutes of the fourth, saving most of their scoring for when the game was already out of reach.

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Bulls guard Kris Dunn (32) dribbles the ball as Orlando Magic guard Shelvin Mack (7) defends during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Magic missed 11 consecutive shots spanning the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth. Valentine hit a 3-pointer for an 80-60 lead.

"I think this game can show us that we still have a lot of work to do and that we haven't accomplished anything yet," Vucevic said. "The Bulls record wasn't good, but they're just a young team that plays good basketball. They played the right way tonight. They know how to play. Give them credit. We just didn't show up and play hard enough tonight."

Magic led 45-44 at halftime after trailing by as many as 11 points early. Fournier and Vucevic had 14 and 11 points, respectively, by intermission.

The Bulls got 14 points from Holiday in the first quarter, but he failed to score in the second when the Magic grabbed their first lead. Markkanen hit 5 of 7 shots in the first half for 12 points.

The Magic never led more by more than two points in the first half, and were hurt by poor long-distance shooting (2 of 11) early.

NOTES: Magic PG Shelvin Mack started for the first time this season, replacing Elfrid Payton and D.J. Augustin, both out with hamstring injuries. ... Payton, expected to be the starter this season, missed his seventh consecutive game Friday, but he is expected to return Sunday against Boston. ... Augustin, who had started the last six games in place of Payton, was injured Wednesday. ... Bulls F Nikola Mirotic remained in Chicago under the league's concussion protocol after being punched in the face Oct. 17 by teammate Bobby Portis and sustaining two broken bones. Portis was in Orlando with the team, practicing and working out while he serves an eight-game suspension that ends after Saturday night. ... Bulls rookie PF Lauri Markkhanen came into the game with 17 3-pointers, the most by any rookie in league history through his first six games. He was 3 of 4 from long range on Friday.

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