Raptors hold off Bulls after nearly blowing 23-point lead
In the pecking order of teams you would want to see when coming off a sub-par performance, the Chicago Bulls would be right at the top of that list.
That perception may have changed somewhat on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors led by as many as 23 points, but came away with a tougher-than-anyone-wouldlike 119-114 win over the Bulls to improve to 6-4 on the season.
Chicago’s young core got it going late and cut the Toronto lead all the way down to three in the game’s final minute before DeMar DeRozan bailed them out with a key jumper with 20 seconds to go, extending the lead to two possessions.
DeRozan finished with a gamehigh 24 points.
The irony is that the Raptors’ big issue coming into the game was slow starts. On this night, the slow finish almost cost them.
The Bulls are in full rebuild mode and are dealing with significant injuries, forcing them to start players who might normally see garbage minutes at best.
Rookie Lauri Markkanen has a quick release and will be one of those guys who will shoot threes for a long career in the NBA, but outside of that, the dividends for the Bulls appear to be a long way off.
Bobby Portis, just back from suspension for an attack on a teammate at practice, did have a nice return with 21 points off the bench to lead a second Chicago unit that outscored Toronto’s vaunted bench 51-34.
For a Raptors team coming off a disappointing home loss to a Washington Wizards club playing without John Wall, the returns in this one were low. Win and nothing matters, because you were expected to. Lose and — well, let’s just say losing wasn’t an option.
Jonas Valanciunas, who been unhappy with his play since returning from a sprained ankle, got it going early on his way to a 21-point, 10-rebound evening. His highs for the season are 23 points and 15 rebounds. On the night, the Raptors were good on three-point shooting at 13 of 25 for a 53 per cent success rate, led by C.J. Miles, who nailed three, along with DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and OG Anunoby with a pair each.
The Raps came within a made three of shooting better behind the arc than they did from the entire field for the night.
Another point of focus in this game was Kyle Lowry, who has been not quite up to Kyle Lowry standards this year as he finds his way in the Raptors’ new offensive approach of more ball sharing and fewer iso opportunities.
Lowry attempted only eight shots in the game but was good on six of them for 17 points and six assists in a nice response to his early ejection Sunday against the Wizards.