Orlando Magic find their grind, but comeback falls short in Chicago
The Orlando Magic found some defensive grit in the second half to keep the game tight, but that was not enough as the Chicago Bulls held off a late rally.
92. 24. 87. 38. Final
Evan Fournier said Saturday after practice the Orlando Magic did not have an identity last season. They spent the whole year searching for it. This year, he said, they were clearly a defensive team. That is how they would make their money.
Through two games this season, the Magic’s defense has been inconsistent at best. It was strong against Washington until the final moments and struggled to corral Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
The defense had not quite reared its head for a full 48 minutes. Certainly not while the offense struggled through an entire game as it does for any team.
Sunday’s 92-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center showed what defense can do, even if it took a while and some lineup tinkering to make it happen.
| Score | Off. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 87 | 84.9 | 42.8 | 25.0 | 16.6 | 18.9 |
| Chicago | 92 | 91.4 | 42.0 | 26.2 | 14.9 | 25.3 |
Evan Fournier (ORL) — 19 pts.; Nikola Vucevic (ORL) — 15 pts., 11 rebs.
Pau Gasol (CHI) — 16 pts., 8 rebs.; Nikola Mirotic (CHI) — 16 pts.
Orlando gave up 54 points in the first half and had an offense that struggled to get its pace up and struggled to move the ball consistently. When the team did, the shots simply did not fall. The Magic shot just 38.9 percent from the floor and 7 for 23 from beyond the arc for the game.
The Magic fell behind by 13 points and the lead stayed at that distance for much of the third quarter.
Orlando found some energy though in its bench in the fourth quarter. Jason Smith, Shabazz Napier and Aaron Gordon joined Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic as the Magic cut a 15-point lead down to one point with 3:36 to play after Napier drained a floater.
Orlando found itself in a close game yet again. This time, they were the ones making the comeback.
Chicago though executed at the end. Orlando took some ill-advised shots — Jason Smith taking an awkward fading jumper and 3-pointer and Oladipo missing a pull-up 3-pointer — and the Bulls calmly extending their lead back out.
The Magic would not die, but could not complete the comeback. Their focus and fire turning on just a bit too late.
Orlando got 19 points from Evan Fournier, 15 points and 11 rebounds from Nikola Vucevic and 13 points from Victor Oladipo. The Magic found their urgency in the fourth quarter and locked the Bulls down.
For much of the game though, Orlando was struggling to tread water and keep Chicago within distance, particularly in the second quarter when Chicago extended its lead.
The Magic had to lean on their defense to win this game with the team shooting so poorly.
Chicago took advantage grabbing 11 offensive rebounds for 14 second-chance points — Orlando ended up catching up, but each rebound seemed to be a killer and disrupted many successful defensive possessions. The Bulls also had 17 points off 13 Magic turnovers.
The Bulls seemed poised to take advantage of any slow play or rotations from the Magic.
More from Orlando Magic Daily
- 5 most important stretches of Orlando Magic’s 2024 season
- World Cup put Franz Wagner on the stage, Orlando Magic have to build on it
- 2023 Orlando Magic Playoff Lessons: Philadelphia 76ers can’t seem to avoid conflict
- 5 worst starters of the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal era
- Orlando Magic FIBA World Cup: Franz Wagner can be a star if he takes it
In the second quarter, Orlando did not move the ball well and the ball got stuck. The team had only eight assists at halftime and the team was relying heavily on its own dribbling and not on cutting or moving. That was the recipe that led to Friday’s disaster.
The defense struggled to hold off Chicago and the lead deepened as the pace slowed down. The Bulls shot 44.7 percent in the first half to build their lead up.
Orlando could not get consistency from anyone and Scott Skiles was searching hard for help. He found it deep in his bench and they delivered for him, finally providing some energy, urgency and pace to pull out the victory or at least get back into the game.
And the defense responded, holding the Bulls to 30.0 percent and 38 points. This is more the results Scott Skiles would hope for. The offense and pace just had to match and it took too long to get there consistently.
In one sense, the Magic hung around without their best offense and found the energy to get back into the game and have a chance to win. In another, it took too long to find it and the top players were not the ones setting the example.
It could be viewed as another moral victory in some way. It was still a loss in the end.
The lesson the Magic hoped to learn is that defensive energy can keep them in any game and they have to stick to their offensive pace and principles to be able to compete and win.
Orlando is still learning all this in many ways. That identity is still emerging.