What we learned from the Chicago Bulls' second straight loss to the Orlando Magic

A couple of takeaways from the Bulls' Friday night loss to the Magic.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning struck the Chicago Bulls twice as they lost to the Orlando Magic, 103-97, on Friday night at the United Center. The loss was the Bulls’ second to the Magic this week, but this time, the stakes were higher as this was an In-Season Tournament game. Here are a couple of takeaways from the thrilling match:

New starting lineup

The Bulls tinkered with their starting lineup for the second straight game, replacing Patrick Williams with Alex Caruso. With DeMar DeRozan back after missing a game due to personal reasons, Bulls coach Billy Donovan decided to go small. Although the move did little to remedy the team’s sluggish starts, Caruso got going early and canned three triples in the first.

He finished with 18 points—on 4-of-5 shooting from three—along with two steals and two blocks.

“It was good. I got some open shots early. DeMar and Zach got downhill. They trust me and when they see me open, they do a good job of hitting me on target. And then it’s just trusting the work,” Caruso said after the game.

AC starts the game 3-for-3 from three 🔥🔥🔥@NBCSChicago | @ACFresh21 pic.twitter.com/uJ3MTHyRJC

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 18, 2023

Vooch struggles

The Bulls had a solid shooting night overall, making 44.3 percent of their shots. The same, though, could not be said for Nikola Vucevic, who missed 12 of his 16 shots. Although the big man still had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with six assists, he missed the potential go-ahead three-pointer from the corner with just seconds left in the game.

Comeback falls short.

Zach LaVine: 34 points (12-20 FG)
DeMar DeRozan: 23 points (10-20 FG) pic.twitter.com/GJVXa0nWEk

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 18, 2023

Chicago Bulls lose another heartbreaker to the Orlando Magic