Franz Wagner gave his team the lead for good on the first possession of overtime as part of a 36-point performance and the host Orlando Magic used superior depth to outlast the Chicago Bulls 114-108 Saturday night in a duel of Eastern Conference playoff contenders.
Cole Anthony added two hoops in the extra session to cap a double-double night for the Magic, who earned a tie-breaker advantage with their third straight win over the Bulls this season, clinching a victory in the four-game season series.
In winning a second straight to tip off a four-game homestand, Orlando opened the extra session with six straight points, with Wagner and Goga Bitadze hitting from the inside and Anthony on a short jumper.
Chicago got within three points on three subsequent occasions, but Orlando had an answer each time.
The Magic seemed to have control of the game late in regulation when two free throws by Wagner put them up 101-96 with just 1:32 to go.
But the Bulls, who had scored just two points since the 6:58 mark, got the final five points of regulation in the last 1:20, capped by DeMar DeRozan’s three-point play with 45.2 seconds remaining.
Paolo Banchero and DeRozan missed subsequent 3-point attempts, sending the game into overtime.
Wagner’s 36 points were two shy of his season-high set at Detroit earlier this month. He went 12-for-22 on a night when the Magic outshot the Bulls 46.6 percent to 43.4 percent.
Anthony’s double-double consisted of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Banchero finished with 19 points and a game-high eight assists, Jalen Suggs with 13 points and Jonathan Isaac a team-high 12 rebounds to complement seven points and three blocks.
Anthony’s production helped the Magic outscore the Bulls 35-12 off the bench.
DeRozan had a team-high 28 points and Nikola Vucevic a 26-point, 17-rebound double-double for Chicago, which entered the contest on a two-game winning streak.
Ayo Dosunmu chipped in with 19 points, while Coby White had 14 points and a team-high seven assists.
–Field Level Media
