Preview: Bulls at Magic

[January 24, 2017]  The Orlando Magic are finding it difficult to string together wins and are in the midst of a tough stretch of schedule. The Magic will try to steal a win in the finale of a three-game homestand before hitting the road for three in a row when they host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

Orlando dropped 10 of its last 13 games and is surrendering an average of 118.8 points in the last four setbacks after falling to the Golden State Warriors 118-98 on Sunday. "They’re a good team and nothing to take away from what they did, but I think we just relaxed," Magic forward Jeff Green told reporters after the loss. "They made plays and that’s why they are what they are and they get the advantage that they do. Their good players get it going and when they do, they’re a tough squad." The Bulls are not quite as explosive offensively as the Warriors but can pour on the points when Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade are both going well. The two combined for 53 points in Saturday's 102-99 triumph over the Sacramento Kings, one day after Wade tweeted an apology to Chicago fans for the team's terrible play in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE BULLS (22-23): Wade was the most outspoken after Friday's 102-93 setback in Atlanta, during which he struggled to four points on 2-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes. Instead of taking the second night of the back to back off or playing sparing on Saturday, Wade logged 35 minutes, scored a team-high 30 points and made a pair of key steals down the stretch to seal the win over the Kings. "I loved Dwayne's mentality," coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. "I thought he was aggressive all game long. Our energy (difference) was night and day from (Friday) night."

ABOUT THE MAGIC (18-28): Orlando small forward Aaron Gordon's production is a microcosm of the team's inconsistency, and he went over 20 points twice in the last eight games while scoring in single digits four times in that span. Gordon is struggling from beyond the arc of late, going 1-of-18 in the last four contests. "I want him to shoot the ones that are in the rhythm of the offense, but like I tell all of the guys, if you miss a couple the worst thing you want to hear is, 'Keep shooting,'" Magic coach Frank Vogel told reporters of Gordon. "It’s OK to pass up some open ones and put it on the deck to try and create off the bounce. I thought he did that a couple of times. But if the ball swings to you later in the clock, then you’ve got to shoot the basketball."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls rookie SF Paul Zipser scored a season-high 13 points on Saturday and is 5-of-11 from 3-point range over the last three contests.

2. Magic PG D.J. Augustin (ankle) left Saturday's game and is day-to-day after X-rays came back negative.

3. Butler led the way with 20 points as Chicago ripped Orlando 112-80 at home on Nov. 7.

PREDICTION: Magic 109, Bulls 106

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