What in the world is happening to Chicago? The Bulls succumbed to their second consecutive loss with a 109-95 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The Bulls had difficulty stopping Reggie Jackson, who scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half. The Bulls, who have now lost three of their last four games, will look to get their season back on track when they face the Orlando Magic later tonight.
For Chicago to grab the all-important victory this evening, it needs to improve on its play on the defensive end. In their last two defeats, opponents have scored an average of 105 points. That’s way above their scoring defense average of 103.2 points. That problem reared its ugly head in the final quarter against Detroit, where they were outscored by the Pistons, 30-16.
The onus now is on Jimmy Butler to stabilize the Bulls’ offense against the Magic. He leads Chicago in scoring this season with a 23.9 PPG average. He scored 27 points and grabbed nine boards in the loss to Detroit. The Bulls need Butler to produce now more than ever with Chicago just barely hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re just 1.5 games ahead of Miami and Milwaukee in the team standings.
Chicago is 4-6 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Orlando’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Magic crashed to their second straight defeat with a gut-wrenching 113-105 loss to New York on Monday night. The Magic simply had no answer for the Knicks’ balanced attack with seven New York players scoring in double figures. It was another disappointing result for the reeling Magic who have now lost nine of their last 12 games.
The Magic will look to end their losing rut when they square off with the Chicago Bulls tonight. For Orlando to pull off the much-needed victory, it needs to improve on its play down the stretch. Monday’s loss to New York marked the second consecutive game where Orlando lost a double-digit lead in the second half. According to NBA.com, the Magic have the worst net rating in the league in the fourth quarter this campaign. Orlando scores a league-worst 98.2 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter this season.
Orlando is 3-7 SU and ATS in its last 10 home games.
