Nikola Vucevic had things pretty easy in the first half.
Pau Gasol was not able to keep Vucevic from getting to his spots and working to put the ball in the basket. Here was Vucevic showing all the improvement and all the wrinkles added to his game over the summer that has made him the team’s top offensive option through four games this season. Vucevic was seemingly a deep well for some offense to slow things down and ensure some points.
The Bulls toughened up. They always do.
That is their identity. The Magic are still figuring theirs out. They do not have the depth to withstand that big burst or a dip in offense and defense. Something has to give and the Magic always have to find a way to survive if they are going to win.
Survival is what the Bulls do best. With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah on the sideline with injuries (flu-like symptoms for Noah), the Bulls just know how to find a way. The simple difference between good teams and developing teams.
Vucevic saw that well dry up as the Bulls eventually pulled away for a 98-90 victory at United Center on Tuesday. Nikola Mirotic hit a couple of big 3-pointers that stretched Chicago’s lead to nine points in the fourth quarter. The Magic could not ever muster enough points consistently to get back.
| Score | Off. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
| Orlando | 90 | 96.6 | 46.6 | 29.2 | 12.1 | 15.9 |
| Chicago | 98 | 110.3 | 51.3 | 22.7 | 12.1 | 36.0 |
Vucevic ended the night with 19 points and 13 rebounds. He made only 9 of his 22 shots though and made just 4 of 11 in the second half.
Taj Gibson of all people did a good job pushing Vucevic off the block and frustrating him throughout the game. One of Vucevic’s make was a 3-pointer (that actually gave Orlando a brief lead in the fourth quarter) and so he was really 3 of 10 on shots he would normally take in the course of a game.
Both teams struggled to score in the third quarter — both missing makeable shots and forcing offense against some solid defense. It was about who would break through first.
That is where Jimmy Butler came through and Vucevic struggled. Chicago went to its system and found Butler or Gibson or Gasol for consistency on offense. Butler had 21 points and nine rebounds. The Magic had no easy answer for him defensively with Tobias Harris struggling to contain him and the Magic still inexplicably switching on pick and rolls involving two perimeter players.
Butler was able to force his way to the line as were several other Bulls players. The Magic defense is good in stretches but continues to struggle keeping perimeter players in front of them.
The real issue remained the offense though.
No one was going to pretend the Magic were going to have one of the best offenses in the league. There just are not the consistent offensive weapons. Tobias Harris is the team’s best offensive creator (at least for himself, scoring 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting and one assist). The difference between the Magic’s offense in the first and second half was stark though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS0e6Pgx02Q
Orlando shot 47.7 percent from the floor in the first half with 14 assists on 21 field goals. In the second half, the Magic shot 38.6 percent from the floor with seven assists on 17 makes. That suggests a team that is not moving the ball well.
They would be right. The Magic were a lot more stagnant and isolation-oriented in the second half. The Bulls did adjust their coverage on Elfrid Payton, hanging back and forcing him into corners while inviting him to take jumpers. Payton was not nearly as effective in the second half.
But the Magic did not help themselves with the play calls they made and the poor execution of the pick and rolls and isolations they did run. The off-ball cutting that had the Bulls defense spinning and struggling to keep up were virtually gone.
The Magic are still clearly searching for a 48-minute effort. Their second half problems on offense appear to point toward a team learning to trust each other and trust what the coaching staff is running. It is still early in the season, and so there is time to get that unity and comfort together. There is still time for trust to build.
The Magic though had a chance to win the game and clearly did not execute on either end to give themselves that elusive first victory. Again.
When push came to shove — and there was a lot of it for Gibson to knock Vucevic off his game — the Bulls were the more determined team. The Magic were the team feeling frustrated. Again.
The Bulls were a team that could trust each other and trust what they were running to work and deliver if they executed. That is the difference between the Bulls and the Magic right now.