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The Orlando Magic will face off against the Chicago Bulls on their home court, Amway Center, this Friday night. This will be the first of a two-game set, as the teams will be back in action once again on Saturday night.
The Chicago Bulls are currently going through a rough patch of games. They have now lost four of their last five outings and currently find themselves out of the playoff picture in the East with an 8-12 record.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic have not had much success themselves. They have lost four consecutive games and sit one spot behind the Bulls in the conference standings at 8-14.
Match Details
Fixture: Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic - NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Friday, February 5th, 2021, 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls have been competitive in nearly every game this season but are struggling to close late. Six of their 12 losses this season have been by less than five points.
In the Chicago Bulls' most recent loss to the New York Knicks, 107-103, they were let down by their shooting. The team went 48.9% from the field and converted on just six of their 36 three-point attempts.
Here is what Chicago Bulls' head coach, Billy Donovan, had to say after the game:
We shot the ball miserably. You have to find other ways to win. I thought we got dirty and grimy and physical, but it needed to be that way a lot earlier.
If the Chicago Bulls are to try to get back on track and string together a run of strong performances, they will need to not rely so heavily on the three-ball and find a way to win games by being physical in the paint and locking in defensively.
Key Player - Lauri Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen is the key player for the Chicago Bulls. The 23-year-old Power Forward is looking to prove himself this year as he was unable to reach a contract extension with the Bulls before heading into the season. He will now be a restricted free agent in the summer.
Here is what Markkanen has to say about his current contract situation in Chicago:
That’s obviously motivating me, but at the same time, the better I play, it’s going to help the team. So that’s what I’m focusing on.
Markkanen has shown signs of brilliance this season but is yet to show he can dominate night in and night out. He is averaging 19.4 points and 6.2 rebounds a game.
Look for him to have a matchup advantage over the short-handed Orlando Magic.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G Coby White, G Zach LaVine, F Patrick Williams, F Lauri Markkanen, C Daniel Gafford
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic started the year undefeated and looked like they had the potential to sneak into the Eastern Conference playoffs. Unfortunately, since then, they have had two of their key starters get injured and have not maintained their high level of play.
The most recent injury for the Magic involved Aaron Gordon. The seven-year veteran will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a high-ankle sprain, via Sports Illustrated.
The short-handed Orlando Magic's biggest struggle since losing multiple starters to injury has been their ability to find open shooting looks on the offensive side of the ball. The Magic have the worst expected field goal rating in the league, 49.4%. That is 4.3% lower than the league average, according to cleaningtheglass.com.
If the Magic are to come away with a victory on their homecourt against the Chicago Bulls, they will need to improve their offensive play calling.
Key Player - Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony is the key player for the Orlando Magic. Prior to the season, we expected the rookie guard to come off the bench behind Markelle Fultz and provide offensive contributions to the second unit, as he adjusts to the NBA.
However, due to Fultz tearing his ACL earlier in the season and now that Aaron Gordon is sidelined for multiple weeks, the Orlando Magic will need to rely on their 20-year-old to run their offense.
The rookie guard is averaging 11 points on 37.3% shooting. He will need to notch up his season average to earn the Orlando Magic a win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Orlando Magic Predicted Lineup
G Cole Anthony, G Evan Fournier, F James Ennis III, F Gary Clark, C Nikola Vucevic
Bulls vs Magic Match Prediction
The Chicago Bulls will have multiple match advantages over the Orlando Magic. With the Magic suffering multiple injuries, we expect them to struggle to get open looks and put enough points on the board.
Look for Lauri Markkanen to display a strong scoring night against the Magic as he will be up against second-string players.
Where to watch Bulls vs Magic
Local coverage of the game will be available on Fox Sports Florida and NBC Sports Chicago. You can also live stream the same via the NBA League Pass.
Guess the Lakers players!
