The Orlando Magic will take on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center tonight.
The game can be seen on NBA TV at 8:00 PM EST.
If you don’t have NBA TV, you can listen on WDBO AM 580 and you can hear the Spanish broadcast on WONQ AM 1030.
Here are tonight’s Magic starters as reported by Tania Ganguli.
Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard
Ryan Anderson
Matt Barnes
Vince Carter
Jameer Nelson
Chicago Bulls
Joakim Noah
Taj Gibson
Luol Deng
John Salmons
Kirk Hinrich
Could this be the opening day lineup? Although, I love Brandon Bass’ game, this would make sense. Anderson is excellent three-point shooter and is roughly the same size as Lewis. If Anderson starts, the Magic could avoid missing a beat when Lewis returns.
Tania Ganguli agrees that this may be the starting lineup come next Wednesday.
First Quarter:
- Ryan Anderson nails a wide open three on Orlando’s first possession. Good ball movement there.
- Dwight turns it over trying to pass out of a triple team. He still needs to become a better passer out of double teams.
- Another turnover, this time by Jameer.
- Nice baseline drive by Brandon Bass for a bucket.
- Magic call timeout. Stan Van Gundy cannot be happy with the defense right now.
- Another turnover for the Magic. They are playing extremely sloppy basketball.
- Barnes feed Vince for a big dunk after the Magic force a turnover and then Dwight with a huge swat.
- Dwight is starting to control the paint, at least on offense.
- Great move by Jameer to get a wide open jumper. 14-13 Magic.
- The Magic look sloppy, but they have very good effort and just got three offensive rebounds on that possession.
- The Magic are playing small ball right now.
- Remember Jameer Nelson? Yeah, that guy is good. Really good.
- Dwight’s free throw shooting doesn’t look any better.
- Mickael Pietrus, Courtney Lee and JJ Redick started at SG last season. Not Hedo.
- More stupid turnovers for the Magic. Pietrus turns it over as the Bulls press.
- 29-28 Bull after one. Sloppy play. Too many turnovers.
Second Quarter
- Magic down 7 and they commit another turnover. 3-second violation this time.
- Bull up 9. 37-28.
- The announcers are saying the Bulls bench will definitely outscore Orlando’s bench. I guess these guys haven’t noticed that Orlando has the deepest team in the league.
- Pietrus hits a three and then does a nice job getting his own rebound and scoring.
- Ryan Anderson’s 3 cuts Chicago’s lead to one.
- Carter hits a turnaround but can’t convert the three-point play. Magic back up 47-45 with 17.6 seconds left.
- The Bulls’ announcers finally called Turkoglu a Small Forward and not a Shooting Guard!
- Magic lead 47-45 at halftime. Chicago only scored 16 points in the second quarter.
- Dwight Howard has 12 points and 7 boards and is now 6-of-9 at the line. Ryan Anderson has 10 on 2-of-3 shooting (all 3-pointers).
Third Quarter
- Bulls lead 53-51 with 8:16 to play.
- Another Magic turnover leads to an easy Bulls basket. That’s 15 for the game.
- Dwight was 8-of-11 from the line until he just went up and missed two. The second was an air-ball.
- Barnes drives baseline for a jam.
- Magic putting up too many quick shots tonight. Barnes bricked a 3-pointer there.
- The Magic are not playing well but they are still showing a lot of effort and have cut the lead back to 2.
- Gortat with a nice move to cut the lead to one.
- Bass with another turnover for the Magic.
- Three straight missed free throws by the Magic. AJ didn’t even come close on the last one. 66-64 Bulls.
- Pietrus’ three-pointer cut its it to one.
- Bass with a nice shot. He makes it 70-69 Chicago after three.
Fourth Quarter
- Chicago’s announcers continue to rip Orlando’s bench. Are they serious?
- Bass is one fire. He has a beautiful jump-shot.
- J.J. hit two free throws. Magic up one. 8:03 left.
- Pietrus nails a three to tie the game.
- J.J. blocks a shot(!), but then bricks a 3-pointer. J.J. has not made a field goal tonight (0-for-7).
- 82-82 with 5:03 left.
- Bass fouls out with 4:28 left.
- Ryan Anderson hits another 3-pointer to put Orlando up one.
- Vince nails a jumper. Magic up one. 2:31 left.
- Dwight Howard misses both free throws…again. Remember when he was 8-of-11? He’s 8-of-15 now.
- Ryan Anderson drives this time and hits it. 92-91 Bulls. 1:08 to go.
- Ryan Anderson with another 3! Magic up 2.
- Dwight gets a rebound and goes back to the line. Makes them both. Magic up 96-92 with 21.2 left.
- Hinrich cuts the lead back to 2.
- Jameer rattles in 2 Free throws. Magic up 4 with :12 left.
- Hinrich nails a 3. What a shot. :08.5 left.
- Orlando has had to call 2 timeouts because they can’t inbound the ball.
- The Magic get in to Carter. Barely.
- Vince hits both. Magic up 3. :07.3 left.
- Magic immediately foul Brad Miller. Stan learned his lesson in game 4 of the Finals last year.
- Miller misses the second on purpose and we’re going to have a jump-ball. Taj Gibson vs Ryan Anderson.
- Magic win the tip. Matt Barnes goes to the line.
- He makes just one, but Ryan Anderson steals the in-bounds pass.
- Magic win 101-98. Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard lead the Magic with 18 points each. Vince Carter had 17. There were seven Magic players in double figures.
(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger. Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)