Here was the game for Friday’s fight between the Bulls and Magic in Orlando:
That line … Live. The Bulls fell 123-119, moving their record on the season to 8-13. The inflated Magic, meanwhile, are only achieving their third victory in their last 15 games.
This is what stood out:
Another slow start, more physical problems
The Bulls appetizer slowly came out of the gates in this one. For the third consecutive game, Billy Donovan requested an early timeout – this one, 2:36 compared to 103 and 50 seconds in the previous two games. At that point, the Bulls trailed 12-4 and Nikola Vučević scored 10 points and 2 3s.
Orlando’s lead swelled to 18-4 at 18:20. Daniel Gafford’s replacement for Thad Young immediately coincided with an 11-0 run that drove the Bulls back into the game, and the late first and early to mid-second quarters had a healthy push and pull. A Denzel Valentine 3 at the 5:09 mark in the second series clinched a 45-25 run over an approximately 15-minute run, giving the Bulls a 49-43 lead.
Then Evan Fournier caught fire from there. He scored his first basket of the game with 5 minutes of play in the second point, and he made 14 at halftime – and 3 were three-points. Vučević had 24 points and 7 rebounds through two quarters, shooting 4-for-6 from deep.
Vučević finished with a career high of 43 points (17-for-29 FG, 4-for-10 3P), along with 19 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. His dominance was a stark reminder of the Bulls’ defensive problems and the absence of Wendell Carter Jr. Bulls Wednesday.
The Bulls arrived late, they finished with 17 second chances of their own and played in the fourth with clear urgency, but it was too late.
“They played a full game, and we did not, “said Zach LaVine. And that’s been our MO the last few games. We need to figure out how to play a full game. ”
Lauri Markkanen leaves the game
Lauri Markkanen phased in and out of this one after hitting his right shoulder on a ride through – and finishing over – Magic wing Gary Clark at the point 7:19 in the first quarter. He played an extra two-and-a-half minutes, with a free-kick and a three-pointer, but dampened him to the point of 4:49 while noticeably limping and favoring the shoulder.
To start the second quarter, Markkanen returned. But he came back for good in just two minutes in the third quarter with what the Bulls eventually called a right-shoulder sprain.
Markkanen’s evening ends after 17 game minutes with 13 points, 5 rebounds and solid shooting marks from 5-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-5 from deep. He flashed a few confident games one game after scoring 8 points in 8 field goal attempts against the Knicks. After his strong start to the season, an absence of injuries is of course the last thing he or the Bulls need.
Donovan calls Markkanen ‘unlikely’ for the Magic’s rematch with the Magic after the game and says the Bulls will probably know more after they could test in Chicago again.
Patrick Williams is thinking of a few things
Another game, another encouraging flash from Patrick Williams, rookie.
He finished the fourth quarter of a confident fourth quarter in the near-return against the Knicks, and he came out decisive in this one. In one period, he scored the Bulls in 9 points and had a handful of decisive drives, shooting two errors in the first twelve minutes.
A quiet second quarter follows. But he scored 7 in third place, with another strong and one finish, and a steal and a block. Although Williams would probably reject a distinction between positions, he made a turn on the de facto power forward in the second half. This thunderous dunk halfway through the fourth gives him a career high of 18 points:
An offensive rebound and a 2-shot foul on a setback in the next possession pushed him over the 20-point mark. He finishes with 20 points (7-for-11 FG), 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block – perhaps the best outing so far. At 19, 163 days old, Williams is the youngest Bull in franchise history to score 20 in a game.
RELATED: LaVine, Donovan Digs ‘Aggressive’ Williams Show
Zach LaVine drops the floor and then almost steals the show
Early in this one, Zach LaVine gave up the floor in the first half – from Coby White (who scored 11 of the team’s first 13 second quarter points in a row) to Thad Young, to Williams, to Markkanen before his retirement. LaVine only scored 1 goal (on 7 shots) through three quarters, but pulled down 4 rebounds and threw 7 assists.
It did not take him long to become in the fourth heat. With the backlog of 11 by the Bulls, he scored (11) or assisted (2) on 13 of the Bulls’ first 15 points of the period.
An example of the great plays that LaVine made in the fourth:
- 3 of a ball possession with about 5 minutes left, the Bulls pulled within 110-106.
- Back-to-back ends with 3 minutes of play, reducing the Magic lead to 112-109.
- Steal on a Magic Fastbreak Possession After a Missed Imposition by Coby White
- Two free throws (an error of 2 shots on a ride) to tie the game 114-114 with a minute-and-a-half left
- Just as the game seemed to be slipping out of reach, he violated a steal from Young in a 3-shot to pull over in 119-117 with 26.1 seconds.
In the end, 24 of his 26 points came in fourth place. He shot 8-for-14 in the final period. LaVine’s line ends 26-8-4-1 (steals) with only 1 turnover. But the Bulls’ hole was too deep to dig out.
“I really felt like Zach had some opportunities tonight to shoot the basketball. And I think he keeps playing the right way and trying to play the right basketball. He needs to find the balance between himself and the other guys, “Donovan said. said. “I think Zach played well. But I also think he should be aggressive early in the game, maybe not necessarily shoot or shoot, but also attack and play downhill. We need more of him, I think earlier in the match.”
“I understood that I did not get that many shots, but we played well, and that’s good with me, “said LaVine.” Then of course I started it in the fourth quarter and I understand that I downhill is’m more aggressive. It tries to put both together. Right time, right situation. ‘
Striking nibbles
- Rotation ripples due to the absence of Markkanen: Denzel Valentine was Markkanen’s immediate sub in the third. He finishes with 14 on 6-for-12 shooting – his second double-digit result in a row – and gives some incentives to return. Chandler Hutchison enters the turn again in the second half, scoring 6 minutes and committing a turnover.
- The final setup: Coby White, Zach LaVine, Garrett Temple, Patrick Williams and Thad Young were the unit on the piece. Young (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) started the second half in place of Daniel Gafford and played 11 minutes. Donovan still leans on Young – in this one, for 32 minutes – and he delivers more consistent defense, facilitating and time-consuming pressure. With Markkanen out and Williams hot, the newcomer got a valuable run and will desperately need to move forward.
RELATED: Donovan will not overplay Young to start addressing Bulls’ sluggishness
- More good luck for Coby White. He had a big flurry in the second quarter, a big block on Fournier in the fourth, and actually drew the Bulls evenly – 112-112 – with just over two minutes of play.
He also missed the lineup on a possession that could have really swung momentum and ended 2-for-8 in the 2-point series (0-for-4 in the paint). Overall: 16 points, 3 assists and 1 turnover with 4-for-9 3-point shooting (the last was an elevator) is a show-on-your-shoulders line. But he showed signs that he could break out of a bit of a slump.
From Markkanen, to the Magic’s injury – related absence, to the silence that kept the Bulls down by double digits, it’s a loss that leaves a sour taste.
Next: Saturday again in Orlando.
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