Orlando Magic Start Fast, Don’t Look Back in Win Against Bulls

The Orlando Magic kept the Chicago Bulls at arms length all game, never surrendering the lead in a 113-98 win at home.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic in scoring and Markelle Fultz was a big contributor off the bench, as the Magic never saw their lead drop below six points after the 7:30 mark in the first quarter.

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— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 8, 2024

Full Team Effort Contributes to Magic Win

All-star forward Paolo Banchero dropped 24 points to lead the team in scoring. Four others scored in double digits, leading to a well-rounded team win at the Kia Center.

Guard Jalen Suggs was the team’s second leading scorer with 19 points. Starters Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner also turned in double digit performances. Fultz impressed off the bench with a very efficient 17-point game, going 8-12 from the field.

The Magic also played well defensively, forcing 21 turnovers and keeping the Bulls under the century mark for the first time since March 11.

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— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 8, 2024

Wire-to-Wire Performance

After getting out to a 16-6 lead midway through the first quarter, the Magic’s lead did not dip below 10 points for nearly the entire game. They led by 17 heading into the second quarter. Their largest lead of the game came in the final minutes of the third, as they went up 89-70 on a Joe Ingles 3-pointer.

The Bulls made a run to start the fourth, but could not break the 10-point bubble until the 8:45 mark.

Trailing 96-85, Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan scored on back-to-back possessions. His 3-point play cut the deficit to six with just under seven minutes to go.

However, the Magic would respond with consecutive buckets of their own to rebuild the 10-point margin. Orlando did not look back in the closing minutes, extending its lead back to 17 and sealing the game.

A full-team effort on both sides of the floor allowed Orlando to play comfortably  and secure an important win in the playoff picture. The Magic now sit as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with four games to go.

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The Orlando Magic will be back in action Tuesday against the Rockets.