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The high-flying Chicago Bulls will travel to Orlando to take on the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. This is a matchup between two teams with contrasting fortunes in the league thus far.
The Bulls are sitting near the summit of the Eastern Conference with a 28-16 record. They are only half a game behind the Brooklyn Nets. They have the likes of the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, who are a game behind the Bulls, breathing down their necks.
The Bulls, though, are looking to get their campaign back on track, having lost five of their last six games. They are also without two key players, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are having a nightmare of a season. They are languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, and are three games behind the Detroit Pistons. They have lost their last four games, and have won only once in their last 15 outings. Orlando have won only two games at home all season long, and could be in for a long night against Chicago.
Match Details
Fixture: Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Sunday, January 23rd; 6 PM ET (Monday, January 24th; 4:30 AM IST).
Venue: Amway Center, Orlando, FL.
Chicago Bulls Preview
Coming into this season, pundits and fans questioned the decision to put DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball together. However, those concerns proved to be unfounded, as the Bulls are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and are legitimate title contenders.
However, the Bulls will have to perform without the service of LaVine for at least another week. That's because he picked up a knee injury against the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, the Bulls will also be without Lonzo Ball for almost a month. That provides the perfect opportunity for the likes of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu to seize the chance and contribute to the team.
They aren't the favorites to come out of the East. However, the Bulls have the firepower to make some serious noise in the postseason this year if they can keep all their players fit.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
A professional bucket getter if there ever was one, DeMar DeRozan has been a man on a mission this season for the Bulls. Playing the best basketball of his career, DeRozan has been carrying the weight offensively for the Bulls alongside LaVine. DeRozan, one of the candidates for the MVP award this season, has been a revelation for the Bulls thus far.
He is averaging 26 points, five rebounds and 4.8 assists this season. He is doing so while shooting the ball at nearly 49% from the field and better than 33% from beyond the arc.
DeRozan has been labeled as a professional scorer, as he can put the ball in the net seemingly whenever he wants. He is shooting the best he has ever had from the perimeter, and has recorded three double doubles this season.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Coby White; Shooting Guard - Ayo Dosunmu; Small Forward - Troy Brown Jr.; Power Forward - DeMar DeRozan.; Center - Nikola Vucevic.
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic have an 8-39 record as their abysmal season rolls on. With just two home wins all season, hosting the Bulls seems like a terrifying prospect.
However, they have earned the odd impressive win this season. The Orlando Magic have beaten the likes of the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets. They also narrowly lost to the LA Clippers, Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets by only a single possession.
With minimal aspirations at the moment and a proper rebuild ongoing, the Magic have very little motivation. However, with nothing to lose, they could prove to be a handful for the Chicago Bulls.
Key Player - Cole Anthony
One of the few bright spots in what has been a tumultuous campaign, Cole Anthony has been the box office attraction for the Orlando Magic this season. In just his third campaign in the NBA, the point guard has the swagger of a veteran. He has the skills to go ballistic on any night irrespective of the opposition.
Anthony is averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting at better than 32% from beyond the arc, nearly 40% from the field and over 83% from the free throw line. He has scored over 30 points on three occasions this season. His best performance of the campaign came in the win against the Jazz, where he dropped 33 points. Anthony has also recorded six double doubles this season.
Orlando Magic Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Cole Anthony; Shooting Guard - Jalen Suggs; Small Foward - Franz Wagner; Power Forward - Wendell Carter Jr.; Center - Mo Bamba.
Bulls vs Magic Match Prediction
The Chicago Bulls are coming into this game low on confidence and with several key players missing, while the Orlando Magic are coming in with absolutely nothing to lose. The Magic have all their key players fit, but despite missing key starters, the Bulls should have too much firepower to come away with a win.
Where to watch Bulls vs Magic?
You can watch the action unfold between the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic on NBA League Pass. The game will also be broadcast locally on BSFL and NBCSCH.
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