Orlando heads to Chicago for conference matchup

Audio By Carbonatix

Orlando Magic (18-15, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (16-17, ninth in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Friday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic take on Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls in Eastern Conference action Friday.

The Bulls are 12-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. Chicago is seventh in the NBA with 17.8 fast break points per game led by Coby White averaging 3.4.

The Magic are 13-11 in Eastern Conference play. Orlando ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 44.9 rebounds per game led by Wendell Carter Jr. averaging 7.5.

The Bulls score 118.8 points per game, 3.9 more points than the 114.9 the Magic allow. The Magic average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.8 fewer made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Bulls give up.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Magic won the last meeting 125-120 on Dec. 2, with Desmond Bane scoring 37 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tre Jones is scoring 12.4 points per game and averaging 2.9 rebounds for the Bulls. Isaac Okoro is averaging 24.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Bane is averaging 19.1 points and 4.5 assists for the Magic.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 7-3, averaging 122.1 points, 46.1 rebounds, 31.7 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.7 points per game.

Magic: 4-5, averaging 113.7 points, 44.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.2 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Emanuel Miller: day to day (hamstring), Coby White: day to day (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Josh Giddey: out (hamstring), Zach Collins: day to day (toe), Trentyn Flowers: day to day (knee), Lachlan Olbrich: day to day (ankle).

Magic: Franz Wagner: out (leg), Moritz Wagner: out (knee), Jett Howard: day to day (illness), Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.