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The Chicago Bulls won an overtime thriller against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, courtesy of an Alex Caruso game-winner. However, they would have likely lost had it not been for a couple of costly referee mistakes that allowed them to force the extra period.
According to the NBA's last 2-minute report, there were two incorrect calls made in just the last five seconds of regulation, all favoring the Bulls amid their comeback bid, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO.
The first one occurred in the 3.5 second mark when DeMar DeRozan baited Chris Boucher to fouling him from the 3-point line. It led to DeRozan gaining two free throws with the Bulls trailing 93-90. DeRozan made two out of the three shots, missing the third one that would have tied the game. Apparently, though, there should have been a traveling violation called before the Chicago star was fouled.
NBA on incorrect no-call: DeRozan (CHI) gathers the ball and establishes his left foot as his pivot foot. He then slides his left foot prior to releasing the jump shot attempt.
IMO this is absolutely never going to get called pic.twitter.com/w2N4EDrpks
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) October 28, 2023
It gets uglier for the Raptors after that. In the ensuing possession, Pascal Siakam was called for an offensive foul during a battle for positioning with Caruso. It gave the Bulls the possession back, which was enough for DeRozan to work his magic and draw another foul–this time off Scottie Barnes. While Chicago had the opportunity to win the game, DeRozan only made one of his two free throws to only tie it up with little time left.
Nonetheless, the NBA deemed the foul on Siakam as an incorrect call. With that said, the Raptors should have never lost possession at all. Had that happened, it was the Bulls who would have been forced to foul just to have an opportunity to come back.
“Siakam (TOR) and Caruso (CHI) come together during the throw-in and marginal contact occurs as Siakam releases away. Caruso is not dislodged from his defensive position as a result of any illegal contact by Siakam,” the NBA L2M report said of the controversial call.
Alex Caruso's OT game-winner
In the end, the two teams had to play in overtime. When it looked like the Raptors are going away with the win, though, a crucial strip by Caruso and steal by Zach LaVine gave the Bulls one last chance to score.
With the Raptors leading 103-101 with less than 10 seconds left in overtime, LaVine quickly ran to their side of the court, seemingly ready to deliver the ball to the basket. The Bulls superstar didn't force things though, especially with two Toronto defenders on him.
What the Raptors failed to see, however, was Caruso opening himself up from the left corner three. LaVine found him and quickly dished out the ball to the veteran guard. Caruso didn't waste the chance and drained the triple for the 104-103 lead.
ALEX CARUSO CALLS GAME FOR THE BULLS 😱pic.twitter.com/6IZWcv8n6p
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 28, 2023
It was indeed a wild moment for all of Chicago. They really needed that victory, especially after their brutal loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in opening night. The Bulls fought hard until the end and was rewarded for it.
Of course Caruso received plenty of praises for his work that propelled them to victory. His defense that led to the game-winner was definitely noteworthy, and DeRozan reminded everyone of that.
“His IQ defensively, his instincts, it's amazing to watch. It's kind of like letting a Cheetah out of the cage and just running wild,” DeRozan said of Caruso. “He makes it look pretty.”
As for the Raptors, though, Toronto fans will surely be annoyed by the report. After all, they basically had the win taken away from them.
