Beede’s Breakdown: Magic take down Bulls to win 5th straight

CHICAGO — It took more than a half of action, but the Magic eventually found their footing against the Bulls on Friday night.

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Jalen Suggs (12 points) knocked down four 3-pointers in the third quarter, Franz Wagner scored 25 points in 23 minutes and Orlando won its fifth game in a row 127-103 over Chicago inside United Center.

Magic forward Paolo Banchero quietly neared a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes during the 24-point win.

Neither side took care of the ball well. The Magic scored 31 points off 21 Chicago turnovers and the Bulls notched 13 points off 16 takeaways. The majority of both teams’ starters didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

On the second night of a back-to-back, Chicago (31-50) shot the ball poorly from 3-point range, finishing 10-for-39 (25.6%) during its final home game of the regular season.

With only one contest left ahead of the postseason and multiple spots in the East left to be determined, the Magic (45-36) wrap up the regular season at 6 p.m. Sunday at Boston.

Slow start for the Magic

After scoring the first six points of the night, the Magic lacked focus and precision on both ends of the floor the rest of the opening frame.

Banchero, in particular, was responsible for four of Orlando’s first seven turnovers despite posting a seven-point first quarter.

On the defensive end, the Magic sent Chicago to the free throw line 10 times, but the Bulls only made four of those attempts. The Magic only led 28-26 after the first quarter.

Wagner’s way to the foul line

The German forward attacked the basket early and often and found himself at the free-throw line throughout the night.

Wagner shot 6-for-9 at the line and hit twice from beyond the arc late in the second quarter. He added four assists and two rebounds.

His 25 points were the most he’s scored since returning from injury nine days ago and the most since Dec. 5 vs. Miami (the last game he played before suffering a left high ankle sprain that’s forced him to miss 48 games this season).

Bench boost for Orlando

Jamal Cain led the charge off the bench with 12 first-half points that included a pair of 3-pointers from the right side of the court.

Cain didn’t slow down from there, notching a season-high 20 points. The performance marked the third time in his career he’s scored 20-plus points in a game. He approached a double-double with eight rebounds.

Goga Bitadze followed suit off the bench by scoring seven points in the paint with four rebounds before the break. He recorded his second consecutive double-double — 15 points and 11 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Orlando’s bench outscored Chicago’s 63-33.

Familiar face in Mac McClung

Former Magic two-way guard Mac McClung notched seven points with one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes.

Recently named the G League MVP for the second time in his career, McClung signed a two-way contract with Chicago in February after spending the 2024-25 season with Orlando.

Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]

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