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