NBA: DeMar DeRozan, Bulls hold off Raptors
DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls reacts after scoring in the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 1, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images/AFP
DeMar DeRozan went for 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Zach LaVine scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished eight assists to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Toronto Raptors 111-105 Wednesday night in Chicago.
DeRozan set the tone against his former team, shooting 8 of 14 in the first half as the Bulls built a 67-50 lead by intermission.
Article continues after this advertisementChicago leveraged a 68-46 scoring advantage in the paint to lead most of the way, but Toronto battled back to pull ahead 103-102 with 3:11 remaining.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 32 points for a second consecutive game to lead Toronto and shot 6 of 10 from the 3-point line.
On the last attempt of his 11-of-22 shooting night, Trent pulled the Raptors to within two at 107-105 with 2:03 to play but was ejected when he received his second technical foul of the night.
Article continues after this advertisementDeRozan 🤝 LaVine
That @chicagobulls duo of @DeMar_DeRozan (29 PTS) and @ZachLaVine (23 PTS) was at it again in their home win! pic.twitter.com/t05Itva9xw
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2022
LaVine made the ensuing technical-foul free throw, and after Nikola Vucevic grabbed his game-high 15th rebound, Vucevic hit a 3-pointer to put the game away. He added 17 points and passed for eight assists.
Javonte Green added 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and grabbed six rebounds for the Bulls, and Coby White finished with nine points off the bench. Troy Brown Jr. chipped in another eight, including 2-of-3 3-point shooting, in reserve.
Wednesday marked Chicago’s 24th game this season in which both DeRozan and LaVine scored at least 20 points.
OG Anunoby scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor for Toronto, including 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Scottie Barnes added 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Pascal Siakam snared seven rebounds and matched Barnes’ team-high seven assists, but shot just 3 of 12 from the floor en route to 12 points. Chris Boucher added nine points to lead Toronto’s reserves in scoring.
