The Orlando Magic’s 102-98 road loss to the Chicago Bulls wasn’t Wendell Carter Jr.’s first time playing the Bulls since they traded him to the Orlando Magic last March. Nor was it the first time he’s played in Chicago as a visitor since the trade.
That came on April 14, 2021 — less than a month after the Magic made the organizational-shifting decision to trade franchise mainstay Nikola Vučević, along with Al-Farouq Aminu, to the Bulls for Carter, a pair of first-round draft picks and Otto Porter Jr.
Previously playing against the Bulls as an opponent made it easier for him to treat the Magic’s matchup against the Bulls like any other game. But that doesn’t mean the matchup against the team with which he spent the first 2½ seasons of his NBA career has become less meaningful.
“Like I said last time we played them, I am human,” Carter said ahead of Monday’s matchup, which ended a back-to-back set after the Magic’s loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday. “I do got a little chip on my shoulder going back to Chicago, but at the end of the day I’m going to treat it as another game.”
Carter, whom the Bulls drafted with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 draft, finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in Monday’s loss for his fourth consecutive double-double.
He scored a season-high 26 points — to go along with 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists — the previous time the Magic played the Bulls in a 123-88 loss on Nov. 26 in Orlando. Carter’s averaged 22 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his three games against the Bulls.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists Monday. Gary Harris scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
DeMar DeRozan (29 points) and Zach LaVine (27 points) led the Bulls. Vučević had 13 points, 17 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals against his former team.
“We constantly talk about him just continuing to stay in the moment, staying present while he’s playing,” coach Jamahl Mosley said of Carter. “Just continuing to do what he’s done — the body of work he’s put in and doing that on a nightly basis.”
To Mosley, it’s natural for players to be more motivated when playing a former team — especially the one that drafted them. But he didn’t see Carter’s work ethic change leading up to Monday.
“He’s a determined young man,” Mosley said. “We talk about his work ethic and the work he’s put in. Whether we’re playing Chicago, where he’s been, or we’re out in [Los Angeles], he’s going to continue to put that same amount of work in and attack every game the same way.”
The trip back to Chicago allowed Mosley to reflect on Carter’s growth since joining the Magic.
Carter averaged 12.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 57 games with the Magic — including 12.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season — entering Monday compared to 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his 119 games with the Bulls.
“He’s grown so much in his understanding of the game,” Mosley said. “We talk about his playmaking, leadership and what he’s seeing from his time [in Chicago]. It’s just great to see his growth with his teammates as well as just on the floor; his decision-making and his level of toughness while he’s out there on the floor.”
