Bulls beat Magic to end 7-game losing slump
Chicago Bulls’ Justin Holiday, right, drives around Orlando Magic’s Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 30, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rookie Lauri Markkanen and Sean Kilpatrick each scored 13 points, rookie Ryan Arcidiacono had all of his eight points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 90-82 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Arcidiacono’s 3-pointer started a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter for the Bulls, who took an 80-71 lead and held on to complete a four-game season sweep of the Magic.
Aaron Gordon scored 18 points for Orlando, which went scoreless for almost six minutes of the fourth quarter and shot 33 percent for the game. Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic (22-53).
The Bulls survived a third quarter in which they made two of 22 shots while committing six turnovers. They went more than nine minutes without a field goal, missing 14 straight shots.
The Bulls led 57-44 after a first half in which Cameron Payne made three of their nine 3-pointers and Cristiano Felicio grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Bulls made nine of their first 14 shots, and a 3-pointer by Justin Holiday gave them a 14-point lead, the largest of the first half, with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter.
Denzel Valentine opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put Chicago up by 16, but the Bulls went more than nine minutes without a field goal and squandering the entire 16-point lead.
Felicio finished with eight points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls (25-51).
TIP-INS
Bulls: The availability of G Kris Dunn (toe sprain), G Zach LaVine (knee tendinitis) and F Paul Zipser (foot pain) will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Chicago, coach Fred Hoiberg said. Dunn and LaVine have each missed eight straight games.
Magic: G Wes Iwundu was a late scratch due to illness, giving Rodney Purvis his second NBA start.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Washington on Sunday afternoon.
Magic: Play at Atlanta on Sunday night.
