Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic Analysis: Win and you’re in on Wednesday, Bulls

The Chicago Bulls lost humiliatingly in New York (not once, but twice) last week and came home to host the first of their last two games of the season on Monday against the Orlando Magic. Did the Bulls stay in the playoff picture?

With just two games left in the season and the Chicago Bulls controlling their own playoff destiny, the league’s most confusing and mind-boggling franchise had to regroup on Monday night after two embarrassing losses to the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets this past week.

All the Bulls have to do on Monday night (and then on Wednesday) is just win and they’re in the postseason thanks to holding tiebreakers over the Miami Heat (and the Indiana Pacers for that matter) in the Eastern Conference standings.

The combined record of the Magic and the Nets coming into these final two games for the Bulls: 48-112.

There’s only one thing that’s for sure about the Bulls, though … and that’s nothing’s for sure.

Here’s what went down on Monday night as the Bulls tangled with the Magic in hopes of maintaining their spot in eighth with just one game to go.

First quarter

You probably knew this already, but the Magic aren’t very good. The Bulls jumped out to a 12-2 start in the first few minutes and it looked like were purposely giving Jerian Grant open look after open look. That’s how open he was in the first few possessions.

The Bulls hit eight of their first 13 shots out of the gate, leading 14-4, and Jimmy Butler hadn’t gotten on the board in the first six minutes of the game. (The lead eventually ballooned to 18-4 at one point.)

After just 14 total assists on Saturday in the loss to Brooklyn, the Bulls almost had half of that total in the first half of the opening quarter.

The Bulls’ lead eventually got to 15 points (at 22-7) and it honestly didn’t even feel that close. (Yes, the Magic are very bad. What gave it away?)

If I told you the lead rose to 20 after a Paul Zipser 3-pointer, would you believe me? (Of course you would. It totally happened.)

The game was never close in the first. After shooting 62.5 percent (15-of-25) overall from the field with eight assists and three of their six attempts from deep, the Bulls led by 21 points after a quarter.

Yeah, don’t ask “Who is this team?” because nobody knows.

The Bulls clobbered the Magic in the opening frame, 34-13

Second quarter

This game sucked (as you can probably tell), but the Bulls continued to dominate.

The lead got to 30 at one point in the quarter, so … do I really have to say much?

To give some sort of analysis, Nikola Mirotic and Jerian Grant were really good in the half. The duo combined for 20 points, four rebounds and eight assists (all from Grant) in the half, as the Bulls led by 27 after two quarters.

The Bulls went into cruise control with a 64-37 halftime lead

Third quarter

Jerian Grant continued his good play by setting a new high for assists in a single game with nine assists, thanks to this Nikola Mirotic triple (his third of the night).

Oh, and Jimmy Butler made this play, which was fairly good.

The Bulls lead it 92-59 and all of us wondered why a second half was even played

Fourth quarter

A fourth quarter was actually played. I guess.

You get the idea. The Bulls won and everyone got Big Macs.

Next: Nikola Marchotic, amirite? A look at Mirotic's late-season surge towards a new contract

Next game

The Bulls close out their 2016-17 season at home on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, a team will once again attempt to play spoiler after last Saturday’s debacle of a loss. Former Windy City Bulls player Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points and hit some late-game free throws to ice a 107-106 victory for the Nets over the Bulls in Brooklyn.

With the Indiana Pacers beating the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat barely getting past the Kyrie/LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night (in overtime), Wednesday night will decide the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race.