The Chicago Bulls are still alive and remain in contention for a spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs after defeating the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night north of the border, 109-105.
It was a gusty win for the Bulls, who had to claw their way from a 19-point deficit. With their win, the Bulls did not just shattered the playoff hopes of the Raptors but also handed Toronto the type of loss it had never seen in over 1,600 days.
“The Bulls defeat the Raptors behind Zach LaVine's 32 2nd-half points. Toronto led by 19 with 9:09 left in the 3rd. The Raptors had not blown a 19-point lead in a loss since Nov. 14, 2018 vs the Pistons, a span of 1,610 days,” according to ESPN Stats & Info.
After a cold first half, Zach LaVine came out firing in the final two quarters of the game. He scored 17 points in the third quarter. Overall, LaVine finished the game with 39 points on 12-for-22 shooting from the field and 13-for-15 shooting from the foul line. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan went 10-for-19 from the floor and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line for 23 points to go with seven rebounds and thre assists.
The Bulls were circling down the drain in the first half and looked as though they were about to go on an early vacation, but LaVine and the rest of the team found their rhythm on offense and recovered their defensive moxie after the half. The Bulls shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, while they limited Toronto to only 40 percent shooting.
Bulls vs. Heat battle for No. 8 seed
The Bulls will relish their win over Toronto and take a rest Thursday before getting back to work on Friday when they visit Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat to decide which team will secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago owns an immaculate 3-0 record versus the Heat this season. Two of those wins also came in South Beach. The winner of the matchup between the Bulls and the Heat will be on a date with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
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