The Magic Insider

Orlando Magic Star Paolo Banchero Clutches Up, Seals Win vs. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls were stifled at home by the Orlando Magic's defense and Paolo Banchero's game-winning shot with seconds to play.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is back on top after a 96-94 win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at the United Center.

The Magic won the game by putting an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor, holding the Bulls to a mere 33 points in the first half. It's the fewest amount of points any team has scored in the first half this season. The Magic scored 50 and took an 17-point lead to the locker room.

But, as we've seen in the past, the Magic took its foot off the gas a little bit. The Bulls began to chip away and tied the game with 7.5 seconds to go on 

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) shoots against Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) during the first half at United Center.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) shoots against Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) during the first half at United Center / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

However, Orlando was able to pull out the win thanks to the reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. On the final offensive possession of the game, Banchero got the ball in the post and was defended by Bulls guard Alex Caruso. He was able to shoot a fadeaway in the paint to take the lead and ice the game.

Banchero scored a team-high 17 points in the win, while Goga Bitadze notched a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Magic's win gets the team back over .500 and enables some confidence within the team going into the second half of the road trip.

The Magic and Bulls will play each other once again on Friday night in the In-Season Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from the United Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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