Bulls come up short against Raptors |
CHICAGO - With just two games remaining for the Chicago Bulls in the preseason, things are about to get real as the regular season gets underway in one week. Before that happens, Chicago has two more opportunities to work out the kinks before these games count, including one against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at the United Center.
What tends to be the dress rehearsal type of game, Billy Donovan trotted out what appears to be his opening night lineup against a Raptors team that has a much different look to it than in seasons past. For the most part, the Bulls offense did all you can ask and more, as all five starters finished in double figures and combined for 81 points in the game. 45 of those came from two players, with both of them looking in midseason form. Despite the strong showing from the Bulls starters, it wasn't enough in the end, as the Raptors managed to rally from an early fourth-quarter deficit to pick up the well-played 106-102 victory. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 1-3 in the preseason and will not have a winning record once the season gets underway. Granted, none of the things that happen in the preseason matter regarding wins or stats, but it is always nice to see your star players playing well, and Zach Lavine had a great ballgame. Not only did he continue to show that aggressive nature that he has all preseason long, but with 25 points in 31 minutes, he led all scorers as he could be on the verge of a massive season this year. Joining him in having a great game was the veteran big man Nikola Vuecic. Looking to have a more significant impact on the offense this season, Vucevic has played well in his three preseason games and added 20 points and 10 rebounds to back Lavine. Vucevic was a double-double machine all season last year, and the Bulls will need him to do that again. Despite those two being the lone players to crack 20 points, all five of the Bulls starters were in double figures, which doesn't happen often. Demar DeRozan is no stranger to having double-figure games, but with 15 points, some would say he had a quiet night. You also saw Patrick Williams build off his terrific game in Denver with 10 more points in this one, as Chicago is hoping for way more consistency from the fourth-year man this season. Expecting the PG battle to come down to the final game, it appears that Coby White has not only won the PG, but did so relatively easily as he finished with 11 points and four assists. From a statistical side, this was the worst game for White all preseason long, and if that is the worst he will play, the Bulls will be more than happy to take it. Apart from a lack of three-point shooting last season, which was an issue in this one, the Bulls didn't have a great bench, which is something they knew they needed to address this season. Most of these players won't be considered stars, but they are role players who know their roles on this team and fit well together. Andre Drummond led the second unit by doing what he does best, cleaning up misses to record 13 rebounds while adding eight points. Fresh off his 12-point performance on Sunday, Ayo Dosunmu was back on the bench and gave the Bulls seven points, with Torrey Craig and Javon Carter combining for just six points to close out the scoring. Looking at the Raptors, this team has undergone many changes as Nick Nurse is no longer the head coach. Throw in the loss of Fred VanVleet, who signed with the Rockets this offseason, and there are many question marks surrounding this team this season. Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam are not question marks, and both showed why they will be leaned on heavily this season. Both scored 22 points to lead the way for the Raptors while adding 11 combined rebounds, as the Bulls had no answers for either. Unlike Chicago, who saw all their starters land in double figures, Toronto only had one more, as Dennis Schroder came through with 12 points and four assists. Signed as the potential Van Vleet replacement, Schroder has bounced around a ton in this league, but this could be his best opportunity to latch onto somewhere long-term. While the Bulls bench didn't provide the team much apart from two guys, the Raptors bench came up huge as seven players from that second unit scored. That was ultimately the deciding factor in the game, as the Bulls starters outplayed the Raptors starters throughout. Gary Trent Jr continues to play exceptionally well against this Bulls team as he knocked down three of the team's nine triples off the bench while adding 11 points to lead the way. Gradey Dick (7), Jalen McDaniels (6), and Thaddeus Young (6) all put forth good efforts off of the bench as the Bulls fall again in preseason action.
