Off and running
DeRozan’s 26 points help hold off his former team, Bulls’ 4-0 start team-best since 1996
TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points against his former team, Zach LaVine had 22 points and the Chicago Bulls opened a season with four straight wins for the first time since 1996-97, holding off the Toronto Raptors 111-108 on Monday night.
Nikola Vučević scored 17 points and Lonzo Ball had 15 as the Bulls won their fourth straight meeting with the Raptors. Ball shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Troy Brown Jr. scored 11 points off the bench.
OG Anunoby scored 22 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 18 as the struggling Raptors lost for the third time in four games.
Fred VanVleet scored 15 points and set a career high with 17 assists for the Raptors. Precious Achiuwa had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Scottie Barnes scored 13 points.
The Bulls opened a 20-point lead less than three minutes into the second half and were up 97-86 with 7:57 left in the fourth quarter, but Anunoby scored the final five points in a 9-0 Toronto run as the Raptors cut it to 97-95 with 4:49 to go.
DeRozan sandwiched jump shots around a pair of free throws from Alex Caruso as the Bulls answered with a 6-0 spurt to take a 103-95 lead with 3:27 to play.
Barnes scored off a Bulls turnover with 15 seconds left, cutting it to 110-108. Vučević missed the first of two free throws, ending the Bulls’ streak of 20 consecutive makes, but he hit the second to put the Bulls up by three.
The Bulls were 21 of 22 at the free-throw line, led by a 10-for-10 performance from DeRozan.
VanVleet missed a potential tying shot at the buzzer.