Nikola Vucevic’s double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds, along with DeMar DeRozan’s 24 points against his former team, propelled the Chicago Bulls to a 116-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors during Thursday’s NBA action, breaking their four-game losing streak in Toronto.
Coby White contributed significantly with 23 points, while Patrick Williams added 12. Both Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu chipped in with 10 points each. The Bulls dominated the game inside, outscoring the Raptors 74-50 in the paint. Vucevic was efficient from inside the arc with 12-17 shots.
“I knew I had a little bit of a size advantage and I was trying to take advantage of it,” Vucevic said.
Bulls guard Zach LaVine, scoring eight points, experienced a setback when he rolled his ankle early in the third quarter. Although he briefly returned, coach Billy Donovan noted LaVine’s limited mobility. LaVine had recently returned on January 5 after missing 17 games due to inflammation in his right foot.
“He rolled his ankle, that’s all I heard,” Donovan said. “I didn’t get a chance to see it on tape.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors Updates
“I could just tell when he was back in there, I didn’t feel like he was moving great,” Donovan explained. “I know he was trying. I think he wanted to keep going, just to keep himself fresh.”
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 31 points, just short of his career-high. RJ Barrett scored 17 points, but Toronto struggled on the second night of a back-to-back, falling to 2-6. After a disappointing 4 for 32 three-point shooting against Boston, the Raptors hit a season-high 20 against Miami. However, their struggles returned against the Bulls, missing their first nine attempts from beyond the arc.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic attributed the early missed three-pointers to the team’s overall performance downturn. The Raptors eventually made 10-38 three-pointers.
“We missed six or seven straight 3s that were good open shots and it just spiraled with us, affected our defense there,” Rajakovic said.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors Updates
Bruce Brown scored 15 points in his Raptors debut following the trade involving Pascal Siakam. Newcomers Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis Jr. were available but did not play.
“I didn’t know the plays,” Brown said. “I was just trying to be in the right spots.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors Updates
After trailing by 11 at the end of the first quarter, the Raptors closed the gap to five at halftime. Despite Barnes’ nine points in the third quarter, the Bulls led 90-86 at the start of the final quarter. Toronto was without center Jakob Poeltl, sidelined for the sixth consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle, proving pivotal in the team’s inability to match up against Vucevic.
Looking forward, the Bulls will host the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Raptors are set to face the New York Knicks next.
