Bulls' Fast Start Falls Short as Magic Regain Form
The Chicago Bulls finally showed some resistance against the Orlando Magic, but ultimately fell short once again. A 26-11 run in the third quarter put the Bulls ahead, only for the Magic to counter with another push, taking the lead back and securing a 125-120 victory.
The Bulls' bench had high hopes as they jumped out to a 15-point lead, thanks to steals by Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic. However, their inability to close out games was once again on display. The Magic's Desmond Bane scored 18 of his game-high 37 points in the final quarter, including two clutch free throws with just over a minute left that sealed the win for Orlando.
Coach Billy Donovan pointed to the physicality advantage the Magic enjoyed as key to their comeback. "It's not about pace anymore," he said. "More teams are playing fast, and it comes down to who can be more physical, defend better." The Bulls struggled to contain Bane in the fourth quarter, allowing him to get hot and lead his team back into contention.
For the Bulls, the issue is one of consistency. They have made strides against the Magic this season, but ultimately fell short once again. "You just got to stay together when those runs come," said guard Matas Buzelis after the game. "You gotta get a kill. Three stops in a row will kill the momentum of the team, and we've got to be better at that."
The Bulls are struggling to adapt to the changing landscape of the NBA, where pace is no longer a key differentiator. According to Josh Giddey, the team's defense needs to improve if they want to compete against faster teams like the Magic.
"We can't just beat teams based on getting up and down the floor," said Giddey. "Other teams are doing it. When a team approaches you like that then it comes down to the halfcourt game and who is more physical, who defends better?"
For now, the Bulls remain stuck in neutral, unable to close out games against top-tier opponents. While they made strides on Monday, it was not enough to overcome their lack of depth and defensive cohesion.
The Chicago Bulls finally showed some resistance against the Orlando Magic, but ultimately fell short once again. A 26-11 run in the third quarter put the Bulls ahead, only for the Magic to counter with another push, taking the lead back and securing a 125-120 victory.
The Bulls' bench had high hopes as they jumped out to a 15-point lead, thanks to steals by Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic. However, their inability to close out games was once again on display. The Magic's Desmond Bane scored 18 of his game-high 37 points in the final quarter, including two clutch free throws with just over a minute left that sealed the win for Orlando.
Coach Billy Donovan pointed to the physicality advantage the Magic enjoyed as key to their comeback. "It's not about pace anymore," he said. "More teams are playing fast, and it comes down to who can be more physical, defend better." The Bulls struggled to contain Bane in the fourth quarter, allowing him to get hot and lead his team back into contention.
For the Bulls, the issue is one of consistency. They have made strides against the Magic this season, but ultimately fell short once again. "You just got to stay together when those runs come," said guard Matas Buzelis after the game. "You gotta get a kill. Three stops in a row will kill the momentum of the team, and we've got to be better at that."
The Bulls are struggling to adapt to the changing landscape of the NBA, where pace is no longer a key differentiator. According to Josh Giddey, the team's defense needs to improve if they want to compete against faster teams like the Magic.
"We can't just beat teams based on getting up and down the floor," said Giddey. "Other teams are doing it. When a team approaches you like that then it comes down to the halfcourt game and who is more physical, who defends better?"
For now, the Bulls remain stuck in neutral, unable to close out games against top-tier opponents. While they made strides on Monday, it was not enough to overcome their lack of depth and defensive cohesion.
. Can't we just have a decent mobile interface? Every time I try to read the news on my phone, the comments get all jumbled up and it's like trying to decipher a mess. 
I swear, if I have to scroll through 50+ comments just to get to the bottom of an article, I'm outta here 
. Can't we just have some basic mobile optimization? 
! The Bulls are just gettin' outplayed by teams that can keep up with 'em on pace. It's like they're stuck in neutral, man... 
. It's like, I get that teams are getting faster and more agile, but at what cost? Are we sacrificing defense for speed? Because when it comes down to it, defense is what wins championships not just outscoring your opponent by a hair.
. You can't just have one good quarter and expect to win against top-tier teams. They need to figure out how to sustain that energy throughout the game. It's like, they're having flashes of brilliance but then they just fade away.
. But is that really the answer? Can you win without getting up and down the floor? I don't know, man... this league is always keeping us on our toes 
we need them to step up their game esp defensively, cuz if they don't they'll get left behind for good 
. And don't even get me started on their defense 
. They need to step up their game if they wanna compete against those faster teams like the Magic 
️. It's all about being physical and defending better, you know? 
But for now, it just feels like they're stuck in neutral...
. it's not just about speed, it's about who can outmuscle you 
and i gotta say, its like they can never seem to get anything right lol. dont get me wrong, matas buzelis is a beast on the steals, but seriously though, they need to work on closing out games and stopping other ppl from getting hot 
, can't seem to find a rhythm or close out games when it matters most, gotta step up their defense and half-court game if they wanna compete with these fast-paced teams 
. Bulls need to figure out who can stop him and get some consistency on defense. They're like the team that's 5 minutes away from winning all the time, but can't close it out. It's frustrating to watch 
. But honestly, can we pls just get some mobile optimization already? 
. its not about pace anymore, as coach donovan said, its about who can be more physical and defend better 
, but at the same time, can't they just close out games already? 
, but can't we just find a way to stop him? It's like he's got this magic (no pun intended) to get hot and lead his team back in. I mean, two clutch free throws with over a minute left? That's just too much! 
. They've been making progress against the Magic, but it's like they're stuck in neutral 
. We need them to step up their defense and half-court game, like Josh said 
. But at the same time, I don't know if we can count on anyone to make that one big play to seal the win... ugh! 