Preview: Bulls at Magic
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[March 08, 2017]
The Chicago Bulls have cooled
off after a hot stretch and look to avoid a third straight loss -
before playing two of the league’s best - when they visit the
struggling Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The Bulls had won five
of six before dropping the last two contests, including a 109-95
setback against Detroit on Monday, and have games with Houston and
Boston next on the schedule.
Chicago shot 41 percent from the floor and was pounded on the boards
in the loss to Detroit without injured guards Dwyane Wade (thigh)
and Rajon Rondo (ankle). “Average. Mediocre,” Bulls leading scorer
Jimmy Butler told reporters after his team dropped into a tie with
Detroit for seventh in the Eastern Conference. “Now’s the time to
make that push so we can find ourselves in the playoffs. We’ve got
to figure it out now.” Orlando coughed up a 16-point halftime lead
in Washington on Sunday to lose by one and led by seven going into
the fourth quarter Monday against the New York Knicks at home before
suffering a 113-105 loss. “It’s tough, but we deserve it,” Magic
guard Evan Fournier told the Orlando Sentinel after Monday’s defeat.
“They just played more aggressive.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE BULLS (31-32): Wade, who is averaging 18.9 points, is
considered day-to-day and Rondo (6.9 points, 6.5 assists) is likely
out for Wednesday’s contest but newly-acquired guard Cameron Payne
stepped up to score 14 versus Detroit. Butler scored 27 on Monday,
but missed five of six attempts from 3-point range where he is
2-for-10 in the past four contests. Center Robin Lopez has raised
his production level, averaging 13.4 points the last seven contests,
while second-year forward Bobby Portis is scoring 12.5 per game over
the last four – seven above his season mark.
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ABOUT THE MAGIC (23-41): Fournier finished with a
team-high 25 points Monday night, but Orlando managed to score just
13 in the fourth quarter after pouring in 38 in the first 12 minutes
of the second half. Newly-acquired Terrence Ross has fit right into
the team’s inconsistent nature by scoring 20 in Washington on Sunday
before going 2-for-10 from the field the following night to record
five points. Magic center Nikola Vucevic (14.4 points, 10.1
rebounds) is day-to-day with an Achilles injury after missing the
last two games and Bismack Biyombo supplied two straight
double-doubles in his place.
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BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bulls have won both meetings this season, including a 100-92
triumph on Jan. 24 with 21 points from Wade.
2. Orlando F Aaron Gordon is averaging 16.2 points over his last
five contests to push his season mark to 11.5.
3. Chicago G Jerian Grant provided a season-high eight assists with
extended minutes due to injuries on Monday.
PREDICTION: Magic 102, Bulls 96 [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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