The Raptors and Bulls begin a two-game mini-series, which they will play back-to-back. For the first round, direction Toronto, before leaving for Chicago in a few hours for the second round.
The meeting takes place without two major protagonists: Pascal Siakam on one side, touched in the adductors and absent at least two weeks, and Zach LaVine on the otherput to rest by his club in order to spare his left knee before the upcoming meeting in Illinois.
In this context, it was the locals who won (113-104), relying on a physical, authoritarian and stifling collective defense (11 interceptions and 10 blocks), and a Fred VanVleet of the great days (30 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists), to repel the always valiant Bulls, but a bit too short to hope to get out of it.
The rocker of the meeting was the start of the fourth quarter, when “FVV” at first, then OG Anunoby (22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals) and Scottie Barnes (19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists) in a second, pressed the accelerator in attack to distance their opponents for good, pragmatic in attack (45.5% on 88 shots) but weighed down by 17 ball losses (and 23 points conceded on these ).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– DeMar DeRozan was expected. After scoring 46 points in his previous outing, the Bulls winger knew he was going to be targeted by his former team’s tough defense. And it did not fail: without Zach LaVine, “Deebo” found himself lonely at the center of the Raptors’ defensive strategies, who did not hesitate to surround him regularly with a two-man take on half-court , sometimes even as soon as he crossed the median line. Overall, he had a good game (20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists), but could only take 9 shots against this permanent pressure from the Toronto defense.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Fred VanVleet. Boss game of the leader of the Raptors, in the absence of Pascal Siakam. Constant at the head of his team’s attack throughout the game, he signed an XXL double-double (30 points and 11 assists), with the added bonus of a “money-time” managed with a master hand, as he scored 9 decisive points in the last quarter.
✅ Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby. Lieutenants of Fred VanVleet in attack and responsible for slowing down DeMar DeRozan in defense, the two wingers were very satisfactory in both roles, accumulating 41 points and a remarkable volume of play in the other compartments (16 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks) .
✅ Christian Koloko. Holder on position 5 in the absence of his Cameroonian compatriot, Pascal Siakam, the rookie of the Raptors was the anchor of the excellent defense of the Toronto club, since he recorded 6 blocks! Solid on the rebound with 7 holds and useful on “pick-and-roll” by his verticality, he appeared very comfortable in the game alongside the other starters, and finished with a very good +/-: +19.
✅⛔️ Alex Caruso. Mixed assessment for the rear of Chicago, because his contribution in attack was as weak as it was remarkable in the other compartments of the game. Indeed, he only scored 4 points, at 1/11 on shots, but is made essential everywhere else: 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The personified example of a “valuable” player without scoring baskets.
THE FOLLOWING
“Back-to-back” between the two teams, but this time in Chicago (02:45).
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