Derrick Rose leads as Chicago Bulls sink Orlando Magic 97-83 - NBA Recap
In their 8th outing of the shortened season against Orlando Magic on Friday night, Chicago Bulls proved they are not just about one player - Derrick Rose.
Although he is the best player in the team by some distance, there are other talented guns in the team that make Bulls one of the favourites for the NBA title this time around.
Rose was outstanding and nearly missed a triple double by finishing with 21 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. In the second half, the Magic diverted all their attention to prevent him from scoring and this allowed others in the
team to score freely.
Luol Deng bundled 21 points on 8 for 16 while Carlos Boozer had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Reserve sharp shooter Kyle Korver came off the bench and netted 18 on 6 for 8 from the floor as well.
Dwight Howard led the Magic with a game high 28 points on 11 for 18 from the floor and 15 boards while Jason Richardson netted 17. Hidayet Turkoglu had 12 points.
Magic’s coach Stan Van Gundy, disappointed with the outcome, boldly admitted his team is not of the same class as Bulls.
"They just play hard," Howard said of the Bulls. "Everybody did what they have to do. Guys came off the bench. They know what they had to do in the game. They didn't stay outside of their boundaries. ... We've got to be the same
way."
Magic started with a 12-4 burst, however Bulls were up to the task and within few minutes eliminated the deficit. Both teams fought well in the ensuing passage and by the end, Bulls were only behind by 1 point 27-26.
Orlando although marginally but managed to stay ahead for the first half of the second frame. They were in front 34-33 but then Bulls rattled a game deciding 15-4 spurt to turn the game in their favour.
The fierce run allowed them to dominate rest of the frame and the complete third frame as well.
Magic made a comeback in the deciding frame by reeling off a 9-2 run to get as close as 71-75. They continued the good work and kept themselves in the game in the next few minutes, however with 5:48 minutes remaining, Bulls initiated
yet another crucial 6-0 run which decided the result of the game, as Magic this time failed to make a comeback and lost the game with a double digit margin in the end.
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