Orlando Pinstriped Post - Magic vs. Bulls: New homestand beginsAn Orlando Magic blog with news, rumors, analysis, and commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/21281/orlando-fave.jpg2014-01-16T17:53:39-05:00http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/rss/stream/50755552014-01-16T17:53:39-05:002014-01-16T17:53:39-05:00Harkless accomplishes rare feat against Bulls
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<img alt="Maurice Harkless" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h3dYYntER23PXKU3obXBJ5qIMMI=/0x0:2658x1772/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26965087/20140110_pjc_bs4_262.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Maurice Harkless | Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Despite playing 46 minutes, the second-year Magic forward took just one shot Wednesday.</p> <p>Though he played 46 minutes in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic's</a> 128-125 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> on Wednesday, Orlando forward <span>Maurice Harkless</span> attempted just one field goal. In doing so, he became just the second player in the last 10 seasons to play 45-plus minutes with only one shot attempt.</p>
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<p>The last player to reach that combination of high minutes and low usage in a single game was Bulls center <span>Ben Wallace</span> on March 31st, 2007, <a href="http://bkref.com/tiny/GgtLj" target="blank">according</a> to <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/" target="blank">basketball-reference.com</a>. In that game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, the former Magic big man tallied two points, 12 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and two blocks in 48 minutes. He didn't attempt a single shot, instead going 2-of-4 from the foul line in his 48 minutes.</p>
<p>Harkless contributed four points, three rebounds, and a blocked shot Wednesday, going 1-of-1 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line. That the St. John's product had such a quiet night came as a surprise, given that he was coming off a 13-point, seven-rebound, three-assist outing against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> on Monday.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/16/5316930/maurice-harkless-stats-nba-orlando-magic-chicago-bulls-2014Evan Dunlap2014-01-16T12:49:54-05:002014-01-16T12:49:54-05:00NBA fines Jameer Nelson for "obscene gesture"
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<img alt="Jameer Nelson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rwsAFoSi6dYQISBulKB-tJMQOG4=/220x697:3210x2690/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26918765/20140115_ajl_sv7_281.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jameer Nelson | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After hitting a crucial basket in Orlando's loss to Chicago on Wednesday, the Magic point guard celebrated with a dance the NBA found objectionable.</p> <p>The NBA announced Thursday that it has fined <span>Jameer Nelson</span> $15,000 "for making an obscene gesture" in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic's</a> 128-125 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> on January 15th.</p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5311514/chicago-bulls-orlando-magic-2014-nba-schedule-preview" target="new">Full Magic/Bulls coverage</a> <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5313618/orlando-magic-chicago-bulls-final-score-2014-victor-oladipo-jameer-nelson" target="new">Game recap</a> <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/16/5313106/chicago-bulls-orlando-magic-2014-nba-overtime-victor-oladipo-joakim-noah" target="new">Notebook</a>
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<p>With 11.2 seconds to play in the fourth quarter of that game, Nelson hit a step-back jumper over Bulls center <span>Joakim Noah</span> to tie the score at 101. As he jogged to the Magic's bench for a 20-second Chicago timeout, Nelson cupped his hands in front of his groin in a celebratory dance <span>Sam Cassell</span> made infamous. SBNation.com <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2014/1/15/5313754/jameer-nelson-ties-the-game-busts-out-the-sam-cassell-dance/in/5077215" target="blank">has a .gif</a> of the sequence.</p>
<p>Nelson finished the game with 31 points, a season-high total and just one point shy of tying a career-best, to go with 10 assists.</p>
<p>The $15,000 fine is in line with others the league has levied against players performing the same dance move. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a> forward <span>Caron Butler</span> was the most recent culprit, drawing <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/11/6/5073522/caron-butler-fine-milwaukee-bucks-boston-celtics" target="blank">a fine for that amount</a> on November 6th.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/16/5314414/jameer-nelson-big-balls-dance-magic-bulls-fine-sam-cassellEvan Dunlap2014-01-16T00:40:00-05:002014-01-16T00:40:00-05:00Notebook: Magic learn lessons in 3OT defeat
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<img alt="Joakim Noah, Glen Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Tom Thibodeau" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TiRGt3MMC_Si_LWYh0TL2dm6rFY=/360x78:4000x2505/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26917533/20140115_mjm_sv7_160.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joakim Noah, Glen Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Tom Thibodeau | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In one of the franchise's longest games, Orlando suffered a triple-overtime loss to the Bulls at Amway Center.</p> <p>In a game that lasted three hours and nine minutes, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> fell to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> in triple-overtime Wednesday, 128-125, despite fine performances from <span>Victor Oladipo</span> (a career-high 35 points, eight assists), <span>Jameer Nelson</span> (a season-high 31 points, 10 assists), and <span>Tobias Harris</span> (22 points, a season-high 16 boards).</p>
<p>Orlando led by as much as 15 points in the second half, but the Bulls' hot three-point shooting in the third and fourth quarters helped them force overtime. <span>Tony Snell's</span> long two-pointer with 48.6 seconds left in the third overtime proved to be the go-ahead basket, and <span>Jimmy Butler</span> added two free throws with 0.4 seconds to play for the final margin. Snell scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime periods, while <span>Joakim Noah</span> led the Bulls with 26 points and 19 boards.</p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5311514/chicago-bulls-orlando-magic-2014-nba-schedule-preview" target="new">Full Magic/Bulls coverage</a> <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5313618/orlando-magic-chicago-bulls-final-score-2014-victor-oladipo-jameer-nelson" target="new">Game recap</a>
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<p>Here's a look at the stories that developed Wednesday.</p>
<h4>Lessons learned</h4>
<p>The Magic took plenty of positives from Wednesday's defeat despite the fact that it was their ninth in a row. The circumstances of their previous losses dictated that reaction: Orlando lost its previous eight games by an average of 17 points apiece. On Wednesday, they showed a great deal of fight when they could have given up. Coach <span>Jacque Vaughn</span> came away pleased with his team's showing.</p>
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"We got better tonight."
<span>Jacque Vaughn</span>
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<p>"We got better tonight," he said from the podium after the loss. "Last time we were in this situation going down the stretch, we didn't come out as victors. Tonight, same result, but a lot of good things along the way. A lot of positives along the way."</p>
<p>Asked to enumerate those positives, Vaughn continued.</p>
<p>"I just think end-of-game execution [is one]," the second-year coach said. "Getting stops on demand when we needed them. Not giving in. Not relaxing. A lot of things that can carry over the next time we're in this situation."</p>
<h4>Late miscues cost Magic</h4>
<p>A few key plays down the stretch against Chicago didn't go the Magic's way. With the score tied at 111 and 13.4 seconds to play in the first overtime, Orlando had the chance to win the game just before the buzzer. Instead, Noah switched onto Nelson on the left wing after a <span>Glen Davis</span> screen and the Magic's co-captain couldn't get off a shot before the horn sounded. One problem with that possession is that Nelson didn't use the screen until four seconds remained on the clock, not allowing himself enough time.</p>
<p>"It was my fault," Nelson said. "I knew they were gonna switch. I took the pick-and-roll too late. I told Glen, 'if I go too late, it's my fault.' I should have gave myself more time to make a play. Instead of going at five [seconds], I shoulda went at eight."</p>
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<p>In the third overtime, Noah met Oladipo on consecutive drives to the basket, getting stops on both possessions. On the first, Oladipo lost the handle and Noah tied him up to force a jump ball, which contest the seven-footer won easily, setting up Snell's go-ahead bucket. On the second possession, he rejected an Oladipo layup and Butler recovered the rebound for the Bulls.</p>
<p>"He just made a good play on the ball the first time," Oladipo said. "And the second time, the ball slipped out of my hands. Credit him for playing great defense. I was just in attack mode."</p>
<p>The rookie guard drew inspiration from Nelson early in the game. "I just saw Jameer, actually, on the first couple possessions when he was attacking, how he was getting his shots off and being aggressive. I felt like I could do the same thing," he said. "I tried to basically imitate what he was doing."</p>
<p>Harris articulated the point that Orlando should learn from the loss to Chicago. "It just goes to show, like Coach has been preaching all year, to win games, all the little things count," he said. "Whether it be a missed rebound, a missed free throw, [or] a missed assignment defensively, all those things add up."
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<h4>Playing with an edge</h4>
<p>Harris' 16 boards Wednesday marked his highest total since he hauled in 19 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a> on April 10th. And in the first quarter, he made a hustle play which helped set the tone for Orlando, diving on a loose ball and shuffling it to <span>E'Twaun Moore</span> for an easy score.</p>
<p>That assertiveness, Harris said, stemmed from a recent challenge Vaughn issued him.</p>
<p>"He got on me after the Denver game," Harris said, referencing Orlando's 26-point loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> on Saturday. "He didn't think I played with an edge out there, so that [tonight] was just me going out for my teammates and for my coaches and just playing with the type of urgency and with the type of edge to show that I want to win."</p>
<p>In his year plus at the Magic's helm, Vaughn has developed a reputation as an even-tempered coach, so Harris' disclosure that Vaughn "got on" him recently came as a surprise.</p>
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"It's just like any other coach: he'll scream at you, cuss at you a couple times, but it's all love."
<span>Tobias Harris on Jacque Vaughn</span>
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<p>"Me and Coach have that type of relationship where I've told him, and he knows, that if there's somebody on this team that he wants to scream at and use as an example, by all means, make me that guy," Harris said. The third-year forward added that Vaughn "got on" him in the Magic's loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> on January 8th. </p>
<p>"It's just like any other coach: he'll scream at you, cuss at you a couple times, but it's all love because he knows I'm gonna go out there and give 100 percent effort. He wanted me going into the rest of the season, these games, to keep playing hard and keep being effective out there."</p>
<p>Counting Wednesday's result, Harris is averaging 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 31.8 minutes, a far cry from the 17.3 points and 6.5 boards in 36.1 minutes he averaged in his first half-season with the Magic. In addition, his field-goal percentage has dropped from 45.3 percent to 42 percent. He has 43 games remaining to round into form and play with the sort of tenacity Vaughn demands of him. Wednesday's game was a solid first step toward reaching that level.</p>
<h4>Afflalo seeing stars?</h4>
<p>Magic swingman <span>Arron Afflalo</span> missed his third straight game Wednesday due to a sprained right foot, but his name nontheless came up in a pregame discussion with Bulls coach <span>Tom Thibodeau</span>. Might Orlando's leading scorer earn the first All-Star berth of his career?</p>
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<a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2013/12/12/5204190/2014-nba-all-star-ballot-arron-afflalo-espn-voting">
<h2>Should Arron Afflalo start in the All-Star Game?</h2>
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<span>In December, one ESPN writer argued Afflalo's All-Star case.</span>
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<p>"You could certainly make a case for it," Thibodeau said. Chicago's coach praised Afflalo's ability to score "in a variety of ways," but also singled out the UCLA product's willingness to defend. </p>
<p>Thibodeau has seen firsthand how impressively Afflalo has played: on December 16th, he tallied a team-high 23 points, to go with eight rebounds and four assists, to lead Orlando in a one-point upset over the Bulls. On the season, he's averaging 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Though his raw per-game numbers impress, the fact that he plays for a losing club may hurt his chances of earning an All-Star spot.</p>
<h4>Channelling Churchill</h4>
<p>Vaughn name-dropped Sir Winston Churchill, of all people, before Wednesday's game in response to a question about keeping players motivated during lean times. Orlando entered the showdown against Chicago on an eight-game losing streak.</p>
<p>"I really think it's a test of their courage," Vaughn said of the skid. "You remember Winston Churchill talking about that's the greatest of all the human qualities is having courage. Having courage to have the right mindset."</p>
<p>Vaughn is referring to when UK's former Prime Minister said, "Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others." </p>
<p>Vaughn indicated that he's handling the situation well. "You don't have to worry about me," he said with a smile. "I'm good to go. I knew what I was signing up to."</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/16/5313106/chicago-bulls-orlando-magic-2014-nba-overtime-victor-oladipo-joakim-noahEvan Dunlap2014-01-15T22:20:19-05:002014-01-15T22:20:19-05:00Bulls rally with late threes, beat Magic in 3OT
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<img alt="Victor Oladipo and Jummy Butler" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AWDSQ2-SqlqWMP5P_IMaCPr0m60=/360x99:3840x2419/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26909613/20140115_ads_sv7_050.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Victor Oladipo and Jummy Butler | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Despite strong efforts from its starting backcourt and a 15-point lead in the second half, Orlando couldn't hold on for the win against Chicago.</p> <p>In a surprisingly entertaining game Wednesday, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> nearly upset the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> behind strong performances from their starting backcourt, only to fall in triple overtime, 128-125, thanks to the Bulls' hot three-point shooting. The game is the fourth triple-OT affair in team history.</p>
<p>In the finest performance of the career, rookie guard <span>Victor Oladipo</span> led all players with a career-high 35 points on a scorching 15-of-24 shooting, while <span>Jameer Nelson</span> scored a season-high 31 with 10 assists. For Chicago, All-Star center <span>Joakim Noah</span> tallied 26 points and 19 rebounds, while <span>Carlos Boozer</span> added 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting.</p>
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<p>On the strength of their rebounding and ball control, the Bulls led by as much as 10 points on two occasions in the first quarter before Orlando ultimately trimmed it to six. Boozer, whom Orlando limited to six points in the first meeting between the teams, shot 6-of-9 for 12 points, but the Magic defended him well for the most part: four of those makes were long two-point jumpers, the sorts of shots it's okay to concede.</p>
<p>Nelson buoyed the Magic in the first with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. He managed to get into the lane unimpeded, even against the Bulls' second-ranked defense, which boded well for Orlando's chances going forward.</p>
<p>Oladipo gave the Magic a push in the second period, scoring 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting after a scoreless first to help the Magic take a three-point lead into intermission. Like Nelson, he attacked the paint to great effect, earning four foul shots in the final three minutes of the half and sinking three. He also showcased a new addition to his arsenal, a floater from the right side, which shot he sank twice in the first half. Having an in-between shot will help him when aggressive help defenders rotate to cut his path to the rim after he blows by his man.</p>
<p>In a notable change to his playing rotation, <span>Jacque Vaughn</span> used both <span>Kyle O'Quinn</span> and <span>Andrew Nicholson</span> in the first half instead of playing <span>Jason Maxiell</span> ahead of them.</p>
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<p>Orlando opened the third quarter on a hot streak, making each of its first seven shots to build a 12-point lead after just more than four minutes. Bulls coach <span>Tom Thibodeau</span> burned two timeouts during that stretch, but they didn't have much of an effect. </p>
<p>The only thing that reversed Chicago's fortunes was the three-point shot: the Bulls trailed by three at halftime in large part because it missed 11 of their 12 triple-tries. But Chicago got hot from deep in the third, sinking 4-of-5 on the same sorts of looks Orlando afforded it in the first half. All four of those makes came in the final 4:54 of the period, and they helped the Bulls trim Orlando's lead from 15 to seven at the quarter's end.</p>
<p>The Bulls' hot shooting carried into the fourth, with a three-point play by Noah giving Chicago an 87-86 lead with 7:17 to play, its first lead since 1:42 remained in the first quarter. Moments later, Oladipo and <span>Tobias Harris</span> strung together two consecutive driving scores in traffic to put Orlando up by three, but Bulls rookie <span>Tony Snell</span> answered with a tough floater of his own, and followed that hoop up with a putback slam. An Oladipo turnover led to two foul shots for <span>D.J. Augustin</span>, and the free-agent pickup converted both to give Chicago a three-point edge.</p>
<p>The teams traded a combined five misses over the next two minutes before Nelson scored a driving layup to bring Orlando to within one at the 1:52 mark. After a Chicago timeout, <span>Taj Gibson</span> missed a long two-pointer, giving Orlando possession as Harris hauled in the board.</p>
<p>But on the ensuing trip, Oladipo fumbled the ball out of bounds off his knee as he drove at Noah. Augustin fired in a three-pointer to put the Bulls up four. Harris tipped in an Oladipo miss on the Magic's next trip. After his team got a key stop, Vaughn called timeout to draw up a final play. Nelson stepped back to his left and drained a long two-pointer to tie the score at 101.</p>
<p>As <span>Jimmy Butler</span> drove to the basket on Chicago's final trip, <span>Glen Davis</span> deflected the ball from him and ultimately tied him up for a jump ball. Time ticked away with the ball in the air, forcing overtime.</p>
<p>Fittingly, Butler opened the extra frame with a triple off an Augustin feed, the Bulls' ninth triple since the second half began. Orlando took a two-point lead just moments later after a <span>Maurice Harkless</span> layup and a Davis three-point play. Both buckets came off feeds from Nelson.</p>
<p>A long deuce from Davis--after which basket he exulted by screaming an expletive--broke a 108-all tie, and Harris followed by splitting a pair of foul shots on the Magic's next possession. The Bulls came up empty on their next three trips, the last one ending with a Davis steal. </p>
<p>Nelson's fading jumper missed the mark and Thibodeau burned a timeout to set up a final play with 15.7 seconds remaining. The visitors needed just two seconds to get a clean look for <span>Mike Dunleavy</span>, which he drained coming off a screen to tie the score.</p>
<p>The Magic's answer to that bucket was not as precise: Nelson ran the clock down to four seconds before running to his left off a Davis screen. Noah switched onto Nelson as he retreated to the left wing and failed to get a shot off, setting up a second overtime. Nelson tried a shot after the buzzer sounded, and drained it.</p>
<p>The second overtime began inauspiciously for the Magic as Snell drove he lane for an easy, emphatic slam with one hand. The Bulls built a four-point edge off Augustin's leaner with 2:50 to go, but Nelson answered with a deep triple to cut the lead to one. After both teams traded misses, Vaughn called timeout to settle his squad and give it a brief blow with 1:22 to play.</p>
<p>Nelson took another long three after the timeout, but it missed the mark. Gibson's jumper attempt on the ensuing trip rimmed out, but Noah tipped it back in to put the Bulls back up three points.</p>
<p>After a Magic timeout, the team attempted yet another late-game triple, this one from Davis. It came up well short. </p>
<p>Orlando got one last chance to to tie the score after Noah inexplicably airballed a shot out of bounds. Davis didn't come up short on his next triple-try, draining it with 4.2 seconds to play and sending the game to its third overtime period.</p>
<p>Harris gave his team a one-point edge with a straight-away three with 3:16 to go. Orlando added to its lead with an Oladipo reverse as he got the baseline step past Gibson, giving him 35 points. After the Bulls closed back to within one, Davis hustled down two offensive rebounds for Orlando on the same trip, which ultimately ended with Noah tying up Oladipo and winning a jump bal from him. Still, that Davis-fueled possession burned more than a minute off the clock, helping Orlando preserve its one-point edge.</p>
<p>Snell drilled a jumper to put the Bulls ahead, and Noah got the best of Oladipo again with a blocked shot on Orlando's next trip.</p>
<p>The Magic had possession with less than 10 seconds to play in triple overtime and facing a one-point deficit without a timeout. Nelson hit a trailing Davis for another three-point try, but his attempt came up well short, securing the one-point win for Chicago.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5313618/orlando-magic-chicago-bulls-final-score-2014-victor-oladipo-jameer-nelsonEvan Dunlap2014-01-15T17:00:05-05:002014-01-15T17:00:05-05:00Magic vs. Bulls GameThread
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<img alt="Mike Dunleavy" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YckW185198kZYyBrfqopwgW7HOg=/0x1018:2947x2983/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26874655/20140111_kkt_sh5_619.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike Dunleavy | Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Orlando enters Wednesday's showdown with Chicago having lost eight straight games.</p> <p>Hoping to end their eight-game losing streak, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> return from a five-game roadtrip Wednesday to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>.</p>
<p>Game time is 7:00 PM on Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM.</p>
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<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">2013/2014 NBA Season</th> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/incurock31/3QC/Logos%20non-gifs/CHI__zps2f3894f0.jpg" width="120" height="80" alt="Chicago Bulls main logo"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/incurock31/3QC/Logos%20non-gifs/ORL__zps606f5ea5.jpg" width="120" height="80" alt="Orlando Magic main logo"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center>17-19 (6-11 road)<br>Lost 1</center></td> <th align="center" width="20"></th> <td width="240"><center>10-28 (7-11 home)<br>Lost 8</center></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>January 15th, 2014</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Amway Center</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7:00 PM</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Fox Sports Florida / 580 AM</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Possible Starters</strong></th> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Kirk Hinrich</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>Jameer Nelson</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Jimmy Butler</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Victor Oladipo</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Mike Dunleavy</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Maurice Harkless</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Carlos Boozer</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Tobias Harris</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240" bgcolor="gold"><span>Joakim Noah</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span>Glen Davis</span></td> </tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Advanced Stats, via NBA.com/stats</strong></th> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">93.1 (28th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">96.3 (16th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">96.8 (29th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">97.9 (27th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">97.8 (2nd)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">103.9 (18th)</td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"></th></tr> </tbody></table>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5311592/magic-vs-bulls-game-time-tv-schedule-and-moreEvan Dunlap2014-01-15T11:17:07-05:002014-01-15T11:17:07-05:00Report: Afflalo, Vučević out against Bulls
<figure>
<img alt="Arron Afflalo" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lNd9hiMRy93tf41FtptUKqCX5cM=/500x98:2570x1478/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26872085/20140110_pjc_bs4_201.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Arron Afflalo | Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Orlando will play Wednesday without its leading scorer or leading rebounder.</p> <p>Neither <span>Arron Afflalo</span> or <span>Nik Vučević</span> will play for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> on Wednesday when they open a three-game homestand against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/daniellemaslany/status/423483197411037184" target="blank">reports</a> Danielle Maslany of OrlandoMagic.com. Afflalo has a sprained right foot, while Vučević continues to go through the league's protocols after sustaining a concussion on the Magic's recent five-game roadtrip.</p>
<p>Orlando played its last two games without Afflalo or Vučević and lost both by a combined 45 points. The Magic have dropped their last eight games overall. As Orlando Pinstriped Post <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/13/5303200/orlando-magic-analysis-2014-offense-arron-afflalo-nikola-vucevic">documented</a> Monday, the offense has struggled during that losing streak, and playing without Vučević and Afflalo has taken its toll.</p>
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<p>With 20.8 points per game, Afflalo leads the Magic in scoring. He also contributes 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Vučević, meanwhile, leads the team in rebounding with 11 boards per game to go with 13 points and 1.9 assists.</p>
<p>In its previous meeting with Chicago, the Magic pulled off an 83-82 upset behind 23 points from Afflalo. Wednesday's game, the first of a three-game homestand for the Magic, tips at 7 PM Eastern on Fox Sports Florida.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/1/15/5311428/nikola-vucevic-arron-afflalo-injury-foot-concussion-orlando-magic-chicago-bulls-2014Evan Dunlap