Magic overcome weak Bulls squad 114-108

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In a thrilling encounter on Saturday night, the Orlando Magic beat the Chicago Bulls 114-108 in overtime. Franz Wagner led the way for the Magic with an outstanding 36-point performance, while Cole Anthony chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Wagner was in scintillating form, scoring an offensive rebound basket to start the overtime period after the Bulls staged a late comeback to tie the game at 101-101. The Magic took control in overtime and held on for their third win of the season against the Bulls.

Paolo Banchero was another key contributor for the Magic, finishing with 19 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. He was well supported by Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, and Goga Bitadze, who all made significant contributions on the defensive end.

For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan led the way with 28 points, while Nikola Vucevic had 26 points and 17 rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu scored 19 points despite playing much of the game with five fouls.

Fouls were a major problem for the Bulls, and they had to adjust their rotation after Andre Drummond was whistled for four fouls in the first half. As a result, Donovan was forced to rely on his starters for extended periods, with DeRozan, Vucevic, and Coby White all playing more than 43 minutes.

The Magic had a bright start, taking an early 10-point lead before the Bulls fought back to trim the lead to 52-50 at halftime. The Bulls then hit their first five shots of the second half to complete a 15-0 run and move ahead 59-52. They stretched their lead to 11 late in the third quarter on a dunk by Dalen Terry.

DeRozan threatened to take over the game before the Magic put Isaac on him to alter his shots late in the third quarter. Isaac’s defensive prowess was praised by Anthony after the game, with the young Magic guard calling him “the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Orlando regained the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to a trio of 3-pointers by Wagner, but DeRozan’s three-point play with 45.9 seconds left tied the game at 101-101. Both teams missed shots in the final 20 seconds of regulation, leading to the overtime period where the Magic came out on top.