Toronto Raptors fans didn't hide their dismay after the team blew a double-digit lead and lost to the Chicago Bulls in their do-or-die Play-In game on Wednesday.
The Raptors led by as much as 19 points. They ended the half up by 11 after a Fred VanVleet 40-foot buzzer-beater to end the second quarter. At that point, it looked like Toronto was on its way to a dominant win.
Fast forward 24 minutes later, however, the Raptors ended up losing 109-105. The Bulls used a 62-point second half to pull away from their rivals, who were only able to muster 47 points in the same span. Zach LaVine was sensational as he put up 39 points in the contest, 30 of which came in the third and fourth quarters.
It didn't help the Raptors that they missed 18 free throws in the game. EIGHTEEN!
Naturally, Raptors fans quickly took to Twitter to share their stunned reactions to the team's epic collapse. A lot others couldn't hold back in expressing their disappointment as well after the team wasted a golden opportunity to fight for the eighth seed in the East.
“Considering how their season has gone to this point, the shrieking daughter of a franchise icon and a 19-point collapse seems like a fitting way for it to end. The 2022-23 Toronto Raptors, ladies and gentlemen,” Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg said.
“No team shot as bad as the Raptors' 18/36 on FTs this season on that many attempts. It's only happened 9 times in NBA playoff history. A play-in record that'll probably be hard to break!” Blake Murphy of SportsNet added.
A frustrated fan added, “Missed 18 FT. They shoulda ran away w this game. That’s unacceptable.” Another one said, “Pathetic season all around for this franchise. On the court and by the front office.”
“That game totally summed up this season. Crazy to think we passed on KD last summer for this. You win with stars. This team doesn’t have any,” a Twitter user added.
Sure enough, it's understandable where Raptors fans are coming from. It was their game to lose, and they were playing at home of all places. Unfortunately, they just didn't step up and ended up getting punished for it.
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