On Tuesday the Toronto Raptors traded Terrence Ross and a 1st round pick to the Orlando Magic for Serge Ibaka. Of course with the deal just being made Ibaka wasn’t available as the Raptors faced the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night. For the 11th time in a row the Bulls picked up a win over the Raptors 105-94. The last time the Raptors won a game in this series was December 31st 2013.
Toronto took a quick 4-0 lead, but then the Bulls ran off the next 8 points to take the lead. The game was tied a couple of times before the Raptors where able to go back into the lead at 15-14. The teams traded the lead three more times before the Bulls where able to final 8 points of the quarter to take a 24-18 lead after one quarter.
The teams started the quarter out trading baskets as the Bulls slowly added to there lead. Chicago finally put there lead into double digits when Rajon Rondo hit a 3-pointer to make the score 41-29 with 6:09 left in the quarter. The Bulls continued to add to the lead with the largest lead hey built was 21 points at 56-35 with 1:44 left in the quarter. Toronto scored 4 of the final 6 points in the quarter to cut the Bulls lead to 58-39 going into the half.
Early in the 3rd quarter the Bulls pushed the lead to 23 points at 66-43 when Jerian Grant hit a 3-pointer with 7:48 left in the quarter. The Raptors did outscore the Bulls in the quarter 25-20 and managed to cut the lead to 14 points at 78-64 by the end of the 3rd quarter.
Chicago has had trouble hanging onto big leads this season and when Toronto started the quarter on a 9 to 5 run you had to wonder if they where headed down that road again. Toronto got the Bulls lead into single digits when Corey Joseph hit a 3-pointer with 6:00 minutes left to play to make the score 88-80. After DeMar DeRozen hit a pair of free throws the Raptors where just down 5 points at 96-91 with 2:08 to play. This time the Bulls finished the game on a 9 to 3 run to get by the Raptors 105-94.
Doug McDermott came off the bench to lead the Bulls in scoring with 20 points. Jimmy Butler returned to the line up and struggled from the field making just 2 of the 10 shots he attempted. Butler did go 15 of 19 from the free throw line and posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 assists. Taj Gibson had 14 points while Rajon Rondo (12 points) and Cristiano Felicio (10 points) came off the Bulls bench to score in double digits. Felicio also tied with Robin Lopez for the team lead in rebounds with 6 apiece.
Kyle Lowry was the Raptors and the game high scorer with 22 points. DeMar DeRozen added 18 points while Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and grabbed a game high 9 rebounds. Off the Raptors bench Norman Powell scored 13 points and Corey Joseph scored 10 points. Lowry and Powell tied for the team lead in assists with 4 each.
The win improves the Bulls record to 27-29. Toronto falls to 32-24 with the loss. Chicago gets a day off before they host the 36-19 Boston Celtics. The Raptors don’t get a day off as they return home to host the 24-31 Charlotte Hornets.
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