GAME NIGHT FROM ORLANDO: Bulls (8-12, 5-5 on the road) at Orlando: (8-14, 4-7 at home) 6PM.
RADIO: 670 The Score: Chuck Swirsky and Bill Wennington: 5:45 pre.
TV: NBCSC: Adam Amin and Stacey King. 6PM
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 26ppg. Orlando: Vucevic: 22ppg.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Markkanen and Porter 6per. Orlando: Vucevic: 11per.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: White: 5per. Orlando: Anthony and Fournier: 3per.
CCI PREVIEW: The Bulls left a winter storm in Chicago for central Florida as they play a back to back against the Magic. The Bulls look to bounce back after losing Wednesday to the Knicks shooting only 16% from three point range. The Bulls have been a top ten team in that department, so let's just say their performance against shooting woes against New York was a hiccup.
The Magic started the season winning their first four games but injuries have a derailed a once promising season. In no particular order, out for the season: Jonathan Isaac (knee) and Markelle Fultz (ACL). Out 4-6 weeks: Aaron Gordon (ankle) and Michael Carter-Williams remains sidelined with a foot injury. Al-Farouq Aminu remains out of action rehabbing his knee. A former high lottery pick Mo Bamba (sixth overall in 2018) is out of the rotation as Nik Vucevic and Khem Birch have solidified their strength at the five spot. Vucevic just shows up and plays. Period. He's having another solid season averaging 22 points and nine rebounds shooting 47% from the field, 43% from three point range and 84% from the foul line. I'll take those numbers any day of the week.
The Bulls need to send an early message against a depleted and frustrated team currently one game behind the Bulls for the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference.
CCI NBA NEWS AND NOTES
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Denver 93. LeBron James registered a triple-double. Chicago's Talen Horton-Tucker scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half.
Golden State 147, Dallas 116. The Warriors outscored the Mavs by 33 points in the second half.
Utah 112, Atlanta 91. The Jazz post the best record in the NBA at 17-5. The Hawks have lost three straight.
Portland 121, Philadelphia 105. Damian Lillard missed the game with an abdominal strain. Enes Kanter scored 17 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. Joel Embiid scored a career best 25 points in the second quarter.
Houston 115, Memphis 103. The Rockets' Christian Wood rolled an ankle and left the arena in a wheelchair.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out: cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls.
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