Shooting woes hurt Magic vs. Bulls in 2nd consecutive loss

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Oct 25, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s no secret that 3-point shooting has been the Achilles heel of the Magic the past few seasons, and that continued to be true Saturday night against the Bulls at Kia Center.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Orlando was lifeless from distance as it shot 12.5% (3 of 24) from beyond the arc and couldn’t keep up with Chicago, who exited with a 110-98 victory led by Josh Giddey’s 21 points.

The Magic only made one 3-pointer in each of the first three quarters and didn’t hit from 3 the entire fourth.

It didn’t help coach Jamahl Mosley’s squad that it turned the ball over 20 times for 24 Chicago points in its second straight home loss. A day earlier in a four-point loss to the Hawks, the Magic allowed 20 points off 22 turnovers.

The Bulls (2-0) had success in transition, holding a 22-10 advantage in fast-break points in the victory.

After three straight home games to open the season, the Magic (1-2) hit the road when they open a five-game trip at Philadelphia on Monday.

Starting 5

Without Jalen Suggs (left knee injury management), Mosley opted to start veteran guard Tyus Jones, following his trend from the preseason.

Jones opened alongside the rest of Orlando’s regulars — Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane — against the Bulls, but the veteran guard played only 14 scoreless minutes.

Wagner was efficient getting downhill, scoring 12 points in the first half, but he had only five points after the break to end with 17.

After shooting 1 of 7 from 3 on Friday, Bane continued to struggle from distance as he missed his only pair. He made up for it in the paint to total 14 points with five rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes.

Facing his former team, Carter was able to help crash the glass with 13 rebounds, but he finished with only eight points on 1-of-7 shooting from the floor.

Banchero bounce back

Banchero made a concerted effort to find spots and attack the basket early following a quiet night Friday.

After scoring just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting in 36 minutes against Atlanta, Banchero posted 10 points on 4 of 6 attempts in the first quarter against Chicago. He finished with a team-high 24 points.

Banchero shot 9 of 11 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds.

Second unit

With Jones getting promoted to the starting lineup, Mosley turned to Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Tristan da Silva, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac as the first five off the bench.

Black (19 points) was efficient penetrating the paint, converting his first three layups and scoring nine points before the break. The third-year guard still struggled to take care of the ball with five turnovers after four the prior night.

After two consecutive double-digit performances to open the season, da Silva (8 points) failed to make an impact on offense, missing his all six of long-range attempts.

Coming off a 9-second appearance vs. Atlanta, Isaac saw the court in the second quarter and immediately scored on a put-back dunk. The veteran forward, however, played only 6 minutes. Howard played 9 minutes.

Chicago’s bench outscored Orlando’s 58-35.

Rookie watch

Mosley said prior to the game there “could be an opportunity” for guard Jase Richardson to see the floor with Suggs out, and that chance came late in the third quarter.

The No. 25 pick made his NBA debut when he entered the contest with 4:22 left in the frame.

He scored his first career point with a free throw a couple of minutes later, finishing with three points in 8 minutes.