NBA: Scottie Barnes’ clutch plays guide Raptors to OT win over Bulls
Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena on January 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP
Scottie Barnes tied the game with a layup in the final second of regulation and scored the go-ahead jumper in overtime as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 127-120 on Thursday.
Barnes finished with 21 points as the Raptors won their fourth straight game. Pascal Siakam recorded 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Toronto. Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby each added 21 points, Chris Boucher had 16 points and 10 points, and Gary Trent Jr. scored 16 points.
Nikola Vucevic had 30 points and 18 rebounds for the Bulls. DeMar DeRozan added 28 points, Coby White scored 16, Zach LaVine had 15 points, Javonte Green 13 and Ayo Dosunmu 11.
Toronto took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter and soon increased it to eight.
🚨 SCOTTIE BARNES FORCES OT 🚨@Raptors head to OT on League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/wb10k2DUHi
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2022
LaVine’s layup cut the deficit to three with 3:43 left in the fourth quarter. Siakam answered with a jumper 20 seconds later. DeRozan made two free throws, trimming the advantage to two with 1:40 left, and he tied it with a jumper with 47.8 seconds remaining.
After a Toronto turnover, Vucevic made a layup with 8.6 seconds to play. Barnes tied the game at 114 with a tip layup with 0.7 seconds left to force overtime.
Anunoby’s two 3-pointers gave Toronto a two-point lead in overtime, but Dosunmu’s layup tied it. Barnes’ bank shot put Toronto ahead by two with 1:44 to go. Trent’s steal and 3-pointer bumped the lead to five with 16.5 seconds to play.
Toronto led 26-24 after one quarter. The margin reached 11 with 7:06 remaining in the second quarter on Barnes’s 3-pointer. Chicago cut the lead to four with 2:15 remaining on DeRozan’s two free throws. Toronto led 54-50 at halftime.
Chicago took a four-point lead with 8:08 left in the third quarter on Vucevic’s 3-pointer. Toronto soon regained the lead with a 10-2 run.
VanVleet’s steal, layup and free throw with 2:23 left in the third gave Toronto a six-point lead. VanVleet hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to nine with with 1:16 to go, and Toronto was up 87-81 after three quarters.
