Magic Look to Extend Momentum in Matchup vs. Bulls
After advancing to the final eight of the NBA Cup, the Orlando Magic hope their strong tournament form carries over when they host the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Orlando swept the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons to win East Group B and secure a spot in the Cup’s Eastern semifinals. The Magic will host the Miami Heat next Tuesday for a chance to reach Las Vegas and the tournament’s final four.
The Magic clinched group play with a 112–109 win at Detroit on Friday, their lowest scoring output in six games after surpassing 120 points in each of their previous five. Orlando also made the final eight last year but lost 114–109 at Milwaukee.
Before leaving for the tournament slate, the Magic swept the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks at home, averaging 127.7 points per game. Orlando will now play three of its next four regular-season contests at the Kia Center, where it has won five straight.
“We’re so happy to be home,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after the win in Detroit. “We have some of the best fans in the NBA, and they’re going to be back there supporting us, ready to go.”
Desmond Bane has powered Orlando’s recent scoring surge. He posted 37 points in the win over Detroit, despite not making a 3-pointer, and has scored 20 or more in seven of his past 12 games.
Bane had just 14 points in Orlando’s 110–98 home loss to the Bulls in October, a period when both teams were still searching for form. The Magic shot 3-for-24 from deep that night, continuing an early-season slump after adding Bane to improve on last year’s 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. Orlando hit just 33.5 percent in October before climbing to 35.2 percent in November.
The Bulls, who began the season with five straight wins—including that lone road victory in Orlando—have since dropped 10 of their past 14 games and eight of their past 10 on the road. This game closes a four-game trip that has included a 143–130 loss in New Orleans, a 123–116 defeat in Charlotte, and a 103–101 loss in Indiana.
Defending the perimeter isn’t Chicago’s biggest issue, coach Billy Donovan said after the loss in Indianapolis.
“We’ve had the ball driven through us quite honestly,” Donovan said, noting Chicago has allowed an average of 56.7 points in the paint across the first three games of the trip. “We have to be better at absorbing the first dribble. Our biggest challenge has been controlling the basketball, in particular one-on-one and in space.”
Josh Giddey scored 21 points in the earlier win at Orlando and has averaged 21 during the Bulls’ current three-game skid.
