ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
It took nearly two weeks to get there, but the Orlando Magic are finally back in the win column. A dominant third quarter turned into a 21-point lead for Orlando. And despite Chicago’s best efforts to come back, a Michael Carter-Williams slam sealed the contest with 3:12 left in the fourth.
Orlando topped the Bulls 115-106 to end its six-game losing streak Wednesday. James Ennis led the team in scoring with 22 points. He shot 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and scored more than half of his points in the third quarter. Additionally, another important performance came from a player acquired in the deal that shipped Nikola Vucevic to Chicago.
New Additions Making the Difference
The Magic unloaded on deadline day in the NBA on March 25; they traded away Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier for a boatload of players and draft picks. Orlando shipped Al-Farouq Aminu along with Vucevic to the Bulls in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks.
Carter Jr. burned his former team for 19 points and 12 rebounds. Chicago selected him at No. 7 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1382506487835148288
On the other side of that trade, Vucevic put up 29 and grabbed 11 boards in his first matchup with his former team since the deal. Despite Zach Levine adding 30 points, the Bulls still lost and dropped to 3-8 dating back to their trade with Orlando.
Then, the trade that sent Gordon to Denver also gifted Gary Harris to Orlando. Harris scored 15 and dished six assists against the Bulls. Carter-Williams also scored 15 while collecting eight rebounds.
Up Next
Orlando (18-37) goes on the road again Friday, but will be back in Florida. The Magic face Toronto in Tampa and will try to build a winning streak after suffering a long stretch of losses.
While Orlando halted its losing streak, the Bulls failed to do the same. Chicago (22-32) looks to avoid falling in five in a row when it hosts Memphis Friday. The Bulls visited the Grizzlies Monday and lost by 11.
