Ennis, Carter Jr. come up big as Magic beat Bulls 115-106

<p>CHICAGO &mdash; James Ennis scored 22 points, Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Bulls 115-106 on Wednesday night despite big performances by Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.</p>
<p>The Magic outscored Chicago by 20 in the third quarter to turn a one-point lead into a 93-72 advantage and hung on after Chicago cut it to 104-98. Carter scored on a tip-in and Michael Carter-Williams dunked to make it a 10-point game with 3:12 remaining.</p>
<p>LaVine scored 30. Vucevic had 29 points and 11 rebounds in his first game against the Magic since they dealt the two-time All-Star to Chicago at the deadline. But the Bulls fell to 3-8 since the trade.</p>
<p>Ennis shot 5 of 6 from 3-point range. He also scored 12 points in the third.</p>
<p>Carter, acquired in the Vucevic trade, came up big in his first game against the team that drafted him with the No. 7 overall pick in 2018. Gary Harris and Carter-Williams scored 15 apiece.</p>
<p>Vucevic, who played 8 1/2 seasons with the Magic, made five 3-pointers to finish one shy of his career high.</p>
<p>LaVine scored 21 in the fourth quarter. Daniel Theis finished with 16 points, but the Bulls dropped their fourth in a row.</p>
<p>Vucevic clearly came to play against his former team, scoring 16 in the first half. He nailed all four 3s, hitting one on the game’s opening possession and burying a buzzer beater to cut it to 54-53 after Chicago trailed by as much as 12. </p>
<p>But the Magic dominated Chicago 39-19 in the third with Ennis making three 3s in the period.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Magic: C Mo Bamba (bruised left hip) was held out after he exited Monday’s loss to San Antonio. The third-year pro set career scoring highs in two of the three games before that. … Coach Steve Clifford described Vucevic as a player who leaves a “lasting impression” on teammates and a “role model” for younger players because of his dedication on the court and in the weight room. He also said Chicago “will be a great place" for Vucevic. “He’s very upbeat, very excited about his teammates, really likes them, loves Billy (Donovan), who I think will be a great coach for him,” said Clifford, who visited with Vucevic before the game.</p>
<p>Bulls: Vucevic’s only other game against them was during his 2011-12 rookie season with Philadelphia. … Garrett Temple played 10 minutes after missing the previous eight games because of a strained right hamstring. “He’s a great, great competitor,” Donovan said. “He’s a team guy. And he’ll do whatever he can to help.”</p>
<p>UP NEXT </p>
<p>Magic: Visit Toronto in Tampa, Fla., on Friday.</p>
<p>Bulls: Host Memphis on Friday.</p>
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