LDN - Sports

Bulls crush Magic, move closer to playoff berth

[April 11, 2017] CHICAGO -- For the Chicago Bulls, the season boils down to one final game.

If the Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets at home on Wednesday night in their regular-season finale, they will be in the playoffs -- no matter what.

Robin Lopez scored 18 points, and Jimmy Butler and Jerian Grant each had 17 to lead the Chicago to a 122-75 rout of the Orlando Magic on Monday night, moving the Bulls closer to clinching a postseason berth.

The Bulls' win, combined with Miami's 124-121 overtime victory against Cleveland, left both teams at 40-41 and in a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with one regular-season game remaining.

The Bulls, however, own the tiebreaker with the Heat, so if those two teams finish tied, Chicago would land the final playoff berth. Miami closes at home against Washington and if the Heat lose, so could Chicago and still get in.

But the Bulls don't want to back into the playoffs.

"Win, at all costs, no matter how it looks," Butler said about Wednesday's finale. "At the end of the game we've got to have more points than the Brooklyn Nets.

"I just want everybody to lock in and realize how important this game is. We're not counting on anybody else. We control our own destiny."

The Bulls took charge early in a must-win situation against Orlando.

Nikola Mirotic added 16 points and Dwyane Wade kicked in 13 to a balanced attack that included points from the five starters and all eight players off the bench. Bobby Portis led the contributors from the bench with 10 points as the Bulls ran up their biggest margin of victory this season and tied their third widest in franchise history.

"We just took care of business," Wade said. "This time of year, trying to get into the playoffs, you have to rely on different guys. Tonight was a good game for everyone to be involved and feel good about themselves."

Chicago shot 53.9 percent from the floor (48 of 89) and outrebounded the hapless Magic 54-37 as it pulled away.

The Bulls missed the playoffs last season, finishing ninth at 42-40, after making it seven straight seasons and 10 of 11. The Magic (28-53) have missed the playoffs five straight years.

Wade played his second game since March 15, when he suffered an elbow injury that was expected to sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.

Bulls guard Rajon Rondo missed his third game with a sprained right wrist, sustained last week in a loss against the Knicks in New York. Grant started in his place and added 11 assists for a double-double.

Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 14 points each, as Orlando shot just 34.5 percent. Fournier started even though he had been listed as questionable with a calf injury before the game.

But no one could spark the Magic.

"No words for it," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "We were playing with some pride two weeks ago.

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Bulls guard Jerian Grant (2), forward Paul Zipser (16) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) attempt to get a loose ball against Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the second half at the United Center. Chicago defeats Orlando 122- 75. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

"We just had no effort on the defensive end. Offensively we were terrible."

Orlando shot just 34.5 percent from the floor (29 of 84).

The Bulls have found ways to play down to the level of their opposition and lose winnable games all season. But in this one, Chicago took charge from the opening tip.

"I think the big thing was our energy right out of the game," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "I thought everyone was locked in, especially defensively."

The Bulls led 64-37 at the half after opening 30-point leads three times in the second quarter. Mirotic led with 13 points halfway through, while Butler and Lopez kicked in 10 each as all five starters plus two bench players contributed to the attack.

The Bulls started the game with a 14-2 run to launch the runaway, then led 34-13 after the first quarter as they hit 60 percent (15 of 25) of their shots from the floor, including three 3 points.

The onslaught didn't stop in the second quarter as Chicago expanded its lead even if though its shooting cooled off a bit to 45.5 percent. The Bulls out-rebounded the Magic 31-15 for the half to help fuel their dominance.

Chicago led 92-59 after the third quarter, then kept expanding the bulge in the fourth before emptying its bench.

NOTES: Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg couldn't predict whether G Rajon Rondo might return for Wednesday's regular-season finale versus Brooklyn, saying Rondo still had "a lot of swelling in that wrist." ... Orlando C Nikola Vucevic pulled in 10 rebounds to improve his total with the Magic to 3,697, passing Shaquille O'Neal (3691) for second place in franchise history. Dwight Howard is the Magic's all-time leader with 8,072. ... Magic F Jeff Green sat out the game due to sore low back. ... Missing the playoffs -- and by a wide margin -- has been especially disappointing for Magic coach Frank Vogel, who is wrapping up his first season with the Magic. "It's not a place I want to be ever again," he said. "We're going to work to turn this around next year."

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