Heading into Monday’s contest between the Magic and Bulls, coach Jamahl Mosley put an emphasis on Orlando‘s ability to defend in transition against a Chicago team that played with the second-fastest pace in the league.
The Magic limited the Bulls to well below their season average in fastbreak points (7 vs. 18.6) and added 19 points of their own in the fastbreak to boost themselves past Chicago in a 125-120 victory inside Kia Center.
Winning its ninth game in the past 11 contests, Orlando saw Desmond Bane go for 37 points a second straight game, Franz Wagner notch 25 points and Anthony Black add 22 off the bench to hand the Bulls their fourth straight loss.
Chicago (9-11) had four different players score 20-plus points, including Josh Giddey who ended with a team-high 22, but Orlando scored 25 points off 21 Chicago turnovers in the 5-point win. It had lost to the Bulls by 12 in the third game of the season.
The Magic (13-8) continue their three-game homestand Wednesday against the Spurs.
The Bane event
Fresh off scoring a season-high 37 points at Detroit, Bane had 12 in the first half, which included six free throws.
He had a difficult time finding open looks from beyond the arc, taking just one 3-pointer by halftime, but was able to penetrate the paint to score 20-plus points for the tenth time this season.
Bane didn’t make his first 3 until late in the third but it was a timely shot that helped Orlando end the frame on a 22-10 run. He didn’t slow down in the fourth quarter either when he added 18 points.
Wagner’s way
Franz Wagner scored seven of Orlando’s first 10 points when he had an efficient start posting an 11-point first quarter on 5 for 7 shooting from the field.
He only attempted one 3-pointer in the first half but did most of his damage in the paint where he shot 7 for 10 to post 17 points before the break.
Wagner’s layup with with just over a minute left put Orlando ahead by 5 points late. He added 6 rebounds in 32 minutes.
Bench boost
Following a quiet first half with just 4 points, Anthony Black notched nine in the third quarter, including his first 3 pointer of the night.
Black ended with 22 points alongside 9 rebounds when he and Goga Bitadze (5 boards) cleaned up the glass for Orlando’s bench.
While Bitadze added 8 points, Black scored 20-plus points for the fourth time this season.
Difference from distance
Although Orlando had shot the ball better from distance through its first 20 games, it reverted to its old ways when it shot 9 for 33 from distance (27.3%) against Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Bulls, who entered seventh league-wide in 3-point percentage (37.3%), shot the ball far more accurately from distance when it made 16 of their 37 attempts (43.2%).
Chicago had eight players make at least one triple and five more with at least two.
Free points
The Magic, who entered the contest averaging a league-high 30.7 free throw attempts per night, got to the free throw line early and often while doing a solid job of not sending the Bulls to the charity stripe.
Still, in a 5-point win, the Magic missed seven free throws they shot 26 for 33 at the line.
The Bulls, who entered in the bottom third of the league in nightly free throw attempts (24.2), ended 16 for 22 there.
Rookie watch
Magic second-round pick Noah Penda entered the contest with about five minutes left in the third quarter, closed out the frame and played the first six minutes of the fourth.
Penda grabbed 5 rebounds and scored on a drive to the rim after a solid shot-fake got a Bulls defender in the air. He hit his first 3 from the right wing less than two minutes into the fourth.
He ended with 5 points in 11 minutes.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com