Patrick Williams scores career-high 23 as Bulls clobber Raptors
Patrick Williams #9 of the Chicago Bulls knocks the ball away from Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors at the United Center on March 14, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Raptors 118-95. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JONATHAN DANIEL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Patrick Williams scored a career-best 23 points — 11 in the third quarter — and the host Chicago Bulls used a balanced attack to defeat the depleted Toronto Raptors 118-95 Sunday night.
Chicago had nine players score in double figures.
Article continues after this advertisementPatrick Williams' career-high powers the @chicagobulls! #BullsNation #NBARooks
@patricklw4: 23 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST pic.twitter.com/jXZO81k4JC
— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2021
The Bulls, who had lost their two previous games, extended the Raptors’ losing streak to a season-long five games. The Raptors had won their previous 12 games against the Bulls.
Zach LaVine added 15 points for the Bulls. Coby White and Lauri Markkanen each had 13 points, Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Denzel Valentine and Otto Porter Jr. each scored 11 and Thadddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky had 10 each.
Article continues after this advertisementNorman Powell had 32 points for the Raptors, who had lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Kyle Lowry added 20 points before picking up his second technical foul late in the game and Chris Boucher scored 17 points.
The Raptors were without OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Patrick McCaw and Malachi Flynn because of health and safety protocols.
The Bulls, who led by as many as 14 points during the third quarter, took a 12-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
They pulled out to an 18-point lead with 8:15 remaining on the second consecutive 3-pointer by Valentine. The Raptors responded with a 7-0 run. But Young’s jumper bumped the lead to 17 with 5:31 left. The lead reached 20 when LaVine made the free throw after Lowry was ejected with 2:39 to play.
Chicago led 28-22 after the first quarter.
The Bulls took a 10-point lead with 6:11 to play in the second quarter when Markkanen made a block and then hit a 3-pointer at the other end.
The Raptors trimmed the lead to two on Powell’s 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining. Chicago came back with a 9-0 run and Powell finished the first-half scoring with a layup, cutting the Bulls’ lead to 58-49.
The Bulls’ lead reached 14, but the Raptors cut the margin to nine on a free throw by Henry Ellenson with 1:11 to play. Williams made a 3-pointer and Chicago led 85-73 after three quarters.
