Takeaways & Player Grades: Bulls 121, Magic 114

Two games after taking down the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chicago Bulls pulled off an even more impressive win without their top two scorers.

3 Takeaways

The Depth Strikes Again

With Tre Jones and Jalen Smith moving into the starting lineup for the injured Coby White and Josh Giddey, it was easy to wonder if the Bulls' second unit success would look the same. Both players have been vital to their bench mob, which is also the main reason they have stayed alive against tougher opponents like the Magic all season.

Sure, finishing with eight players in double figures against the Pelicans is one thing. That's an 8-win team with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. The Magic represent a Top 6 team in the Eastern Conference with a Top 9 defensive rating. Keeping the depleted second unit's success going against this group would be a whole different challenge.

Well, I guess the Bulls were willing to meet that challenge. Chicago erased a 30-17 deficit and tied things up by halftime largely because of their bench activity. Kevin Huerter scored 13 points to lead all Bulls scorers over the first two quarters, while Ayo Dosunmu's 11 points and 4 assists on a not-so-shocking 5-6 shooting from the field.

Believe it or not, though, it was actually Patrick Williams who stood out most. He knocked down three triples in the first half, including the one that initially gave Chicago a 48-47 advantage. The forward also stepped up again with the driving layup that tied things up at 52 apiece. Overall, Williams' 4-4 shooting half gave him his 11th-ever half with 10+ points on 100 percent shooting. Bulls PR shared that he now ranks No. 1 in Bulls history in perfect double-digit scoring halves (since tracking began in 1996-97). Who would have thought!?

By the end of the night, the Bulls' bench ended up outscoring the Magic bench 57-27. Huerter led all second unit members with 20 points on 8-15 shooting from the field.

Dodging Bullets in Crunch Time

With the Bulls up 109-104 as the clock ticked under 5 minutes, they officially recorded their 22nd clutch game of the season. They are now tied for the second-most in the NBA behind only the Dallas Mavericks, who come to the United Center next week. Their 13th clutch win moved them into second place behind only the East-leading Pistons, whom the Bulls will also battle over the next seven days.

To be sure, the Bulls almost handed the game away. For how many close battles they have participated in this season, you would think that some of the mistakes we saw wouldn't happen, especially in the shot-selection department. They were feasting at the rim for most of the night, yet chose to settle for three ill-advised shots from behind the arc. Patrick Williams tossed up one from 26 feet before Nikola Vucevic sent up a similarly deep shot from the opposite wing that banked off the backboard. Two possessions later, it was Buzelis' turn to brick a near 27-footer.

The ball was suddenly in Orlando's hands down 115-112. Desmond Bane got a decent look from downtown at the top of the key, which the Bulls were lucky he missed. Then, the Bulls were even luckier that the refs chose not to call a likely travel on Buzelis.

The forward went up for another three before quickly changing his mind and dumping the ball off to Tre Jones. With the clock about to expire, the guard had to settle for off-balance, mid-range bucket ... which he drained in ice-cold fashion for the 117-112 lead. A closer look at the pass sure made it seem as if Buzelis didn't get the ball off in time before his feet touched the court again. The last two-minute report should be interesting!

Regardless, the Bulls deserve credit for having the lead heading into crunch time and securing the 121-114 win, especially without their two lead ball-handlers.

Uncharacteristic Shooting Night for Magic

Orlando came into the evening shooting only 33.7 percent from downtown, which is the third-worst shooting percentage on the season. Only the rebuilding Pacers and Mavericks currently have a lower success rate from downtown. By the time the final buzzer sounded, however, they had a very solid 14-32 shooting night on the board. They actually ended up matching Chicago in points scored from long range.

Indeed, this uncharacteristic shooting from downtown felt like one reason why they were destined to walk away winners, especially when they started 9-16. But I suppose it actually took them away from what they do best. A team that typically dominates inside and at the free throw line, the Magic were outscored by 10 in the paint and 3 at the charity stripe. In fact, they only ended up sinking 14 free throws tonight, which is far behind their league-leading average of 22.7. This marked their fewest made free throws since December 9 and tied their second-fewest of the season.

Of course, the Bulls do deserve some credit for knocking this Orlando team out of sorts, but the Magic still shot 50 percent from the field. It just felt like they didn't play their preferred style.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Matas Buzelis – A
Stats: 21 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK

After going into halftime with only 4 points, Matas Buzelis took over in the second half. He was in full attack mode against a very physical Orlando defense, going 7-8 from the free throw line. Most impressive, however, was his career-high 7 assists. He really had his fingerprints all over the offense.

I lied. We all know this was actually the most impressive ...

Ayo Dosunmu – A-
Stats: 17 PTS, 7 AST, 3 REB

Ayo Dosunmu was a game-high +18, and it was easy to see why. While the Bulls may not have won the fastbreak points tonight, it felt like they did because of Dosunmu's tempo and passing. He finished with 7 assists and 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field.

Kevin Huerter – B+
Stats: 20 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST

Down multiple buckets to start the night, Kevin Huerter checked in the game and changed the momentum. He scored or assisted on 8 straight points to cut things to a one-score game. This stretch really summarized his night as a whole. He was always there to come up with a big bucket and keep the Bulls in it.

Patrick Williams – B
Stats: 15 PTS, 2 REB, 1 STL,1 BLK

It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's Patrick Williams!? Recently bumped from the rotation, the injuries have given Williams new life. The forward took advantage tonight with a 3-5 shooting display from downtown and a couple of assertive finishes in the paint.

Nikola Vucevic – B-
Stats: 17 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST

The big man was 7-11 from the field tonight against the Orlando frontcourt and did a good job taking advantage of his superior size down low.

Tre Jones – C-
Stats: 6 PTS, 5 AST, 1 STL

This was far from the same productive game we saw from Tre Jones on Wednesday night, but he still came up with the biggest bucket of the game.