Preview: Bulls at Magic

[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.

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.

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

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