NBA Game Recap - Chicago at Toronto
Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

CHI
120
TOR
122
F(OT)
DET
96
BKN
98
F
PHO
97
MIA
112
F
MEM
82
NO
95
F
GS
112
DAL
87
F
SA
100
MIN
93
F
MIL
93
POR
90
F
LAC
133
LAL
109
F

Toronto 122, Chicago 120

Mar 21, 2017, 7:00 PM EDT

Final (OT)

1

2

3

4

OT

T

Chicago

31

28

35

19

7

120

Toronto

27

27

25

34

9

122

Raptors snap 11-game losing against Bulls with 122-120 win
Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:07 AM

TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Raptors fought and scrapped their way to their first victory over the Chicago Bulls in years.

DeMar DeRozan led the way.

DeRozan had 42 points, and the Raptors snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Bulls by rallying for a wild 122-120 overtime win on Tuesday night.

"You don't want to have something lingering like that and go a couple of seasons where you can't beat a team," DeRozan said. "When you're a competitor, just to have that in the back of your mind, it sucks."

DeRozan set a franchise record with 38 shot attempts, making 17, and also finished with eight assists. Cory Joseph had 19 points for the Raptors, and Serge Ibaka scored 16 before he was ejected for his role in a memorable fight with Robin Lopez during the third quarter.

Jimmy Butler had 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Bulls, and Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 24. It was Chicago's first loss to Toronto since Dec. 31, 2013.

Following a Butler 3-pointer with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter, giving Chicago a 16-point lead, Lopez swatted the ball out of the hand of Ibaka. The two squared up in the middle of a crowd and Lopez swung and missed Ibaka, who returned in kind, barely connecting with the head of the center.

Lopez and Ibaka were ejected following a long review period. Chicago forward Nikola Mirotic and Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire received offsetting technical fouls after getting into a shoving match following the melee.

With Lopez throwing the first punch, Ibaka said he was simply trying to defend himself.

"I'm not just going to be out there and watch a man like him punch me and walk away," he said after his fourth career ejection.

Lopez was ejected for the sixth time in his career. He said he expects to be suspended for the fight.

"I think it was a really physical game, physical game for everybody," he said. "Just kind of hit the flashpoint."

The Bulls opened a 109-94 lead on Paul Zipser's 3-pointer with 6:39 left in the fourth. But the Raptors responded with a 15-0 run, tying the game on Joseph's layup with 1:50 remaining.

"They were the aggressors on both sides of the floor, getting layups on one end and stops on the other," Butler said. "Hell, that's how we were playing for the majority of the game. Whenever you're playing like that, the game turns quickly."

Toronto grabbed the lead for the first time on a turnaround jumper from DeRozan with 1:23 to play in overtime.

Denzel Valentine missed a 3-point attempt on Chicago's next possession and Patrick Patterson had a tip-in layup to make it 119-115 Toronto with 44.7 seconds remaining.

The Raptors lead the NBA with 18 comeback victories after trailing by 10-or-more points.

TIP-INS

Bulls: A pregame moment of silence was observed in honor of former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause. The team confirmed his death on Tuesday. ... In their 11-game winning streak over the Raptors, Chicago used 10 different starting lineups, before using an 11th different one on Tuesday. ... The Bulls' 11-game winning streak was their longest against the Raptors since a 15-game streak from Dec. 18, 2002-Dec. 29, 2006.

Raptors: It was DeRozan's fifth 40-plus-point game of the season. He also matched his career high with his 54th 20-point game, set during the 2015-16 season. ... The Raptors improved to 5-0 when wearing their throwback Toronto Huskies blue uniforms.

HEAVYWEIGHT MATCHUP

Raptors coach Dwane Casey explained why there aren't many fights in the NBA these days.

"Not anymore, it's too expensive," he said. "Believe me, Serge Ibaka doesn't have a malicious bone in his body, he's a competitor, so is Lopez. I don't think either one of them will go down as Rocky or anything like that."

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host Detroit on Wednesday, needing a win to earn a season split of their four-game series.

Raptors: Visit Miami on Thursday for the third of four meetings between the teams this season.

Leaders

Chicago PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Butler 37 -6 6 10 1 2
R. Rondo 24 -7 8 5 4 0
Toronto PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. DeRozan 42 6 8 7 2 1
C. Joseph 19 6 2 1 0 0

Team Comparison

CHI TOR
Points For 120 122
Field Goals 42/90-47% 47/95-49%
Three Pointers 14/37-38% 8/23-35%
Free Throws 22/27-81% 20/27-74%
Offensive Rebounds 9 16
Defensive Rebounds 30 34
Rebounds 47 61
Blocks 10 4
Steals 9 6
Turnovers 14 16
Points Scored Off Turnovers 17 26
Points in the Paint 40 58
Fast Break Points 13 14
Personal Fouls 24 23
Technical Fouls 2 2
Flagrant Fouls 0 0
Ejections 1 1

2016-17 Reg Season - CHI Leads Series 2-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Jan 7 TOR 118 @ CHI 123 D. DeRozan 36 J. Butler 42
Tue Feb 14 TOR 94 @ CHI 105 K. Lowry 22 D. McDermott 20
Tue Mar 21 CHI 120 @ TOR 122 J. Butler 37 D. DeRozan 42

Game Information

Stadium: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Game Time: 2:58