3 Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 108-107 home loss against the Orlando Magic

The first quarter and three-point shooting cost the Bulls in their 108-107 loss against the Magic.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic outscored the Chicago Bulls 37-24 in the first quarter and never looked back, winning the game 108-107. Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 21 points, and Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs added 20 points apiece.

Comeback falls just short 🤬 pic.twitter.com/4W3KzoQ0GC

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 19, 2022

DeMar DeRozan had a game-high 41 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 14 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.

The Bulls’ first-quarter issues continued

Before the game, reporters asked Bulls head coach Billy Donovan about the team’s trend of slow starts. Donovan then told DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic to raise their level and the level of their teammates early on. This didn't happen.

The Magic missed key rotation players but showed tons of fight despite this. The Magic beat the Mavericks and the Suns last week without their best player, No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, and they played inspiring basketball from the start.

The Bulls underestimated the Magic, especially at the start of the game. The team’s bad first-quarter defense was a big issue once again, and the Magic’s early lead set the tone for the rest of the game.

LaVine had a night to forget

Zach LaVine had one of the worst games of his career. He was 1-14 from the field and 0-5 from three-point range, becoming the sixth Bulls player in history to shoot 1-14 or worse and the first since Toni Kukoc in 1999.

LaVine shot 1-10 in the first half, including 0-3 from three-point range. Donovan benched LaVine with 3:43 left in the game and the Bulls trailing by four points. The decision frustrated LaVine.

“That’s Billy’s decision. He gotta lay with it,” LaVine said. “Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I miss some shots. But that’s his decision. He has to stand on it."

"I’ve missed a lot of shots, man. But I’ve had a lot of games where I played terrible and in four to five minutes, I can get 15, 16 points. I just wasn’t able to shoot the next shot.”

Donovan went with Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeRozan, Javonte Green, and Vucevic to close the game.

“He had a tough night shooting and I thought that group really fought their way back into the game,” Donovan explained. “I played DeMar the whole second half. He seemed like he was fine physically.

"I came back to Zach and it was one of those games for him. He just didn’t have a great game. Great players, it happens. He cares deeply about the team. He just wasn’t playing well.”

Green almost saved the game

The Bulls trailed by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, but they went on an 18-7 run to cut the Magic’s lead to eight points entering the fourth. Javonte Green completely changed the game, scoring eight points with three steals and a +17 plus-minus in the second half.

JAVONTE. GREEN. IN THE CLUTCH.

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 19, 2022

Green’s energy, Dragic’s pace, and DeRozan’s shotmaking brought the Bulls back, but Vucevic missed two free throws when the Bulls had a 107-105 lead with 12.2 seconds left. Suggs then sprinted up the court and hit a three-pointer that sealed Chicago’s fate. The Bulls are now 0-7 in games within a five-point margin with five minutes or less to play.