Bulls-Raptors Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Jan 16 2013 12:02AM

Fresh off one of the most stifling defensive performances in team history, the Chicago Bulls will look to build on that momentum with a win in a series they've dominated lately.

Chicago seeks its eighth victory in nine tries against the Raptors on Wednesday night in Toronto.

The Bulls (21-15) have won three straight and eight of 10 on the road, and they also exorcised some recent home-court demons with Monday's 97-58 win against Atlanta. Chicago had dropped three of its previous four at home, including a 97-81 loss to Phoenix on Saturday in which the Suns shot 49.3 percent from the floor.

Coach Tom Thibodeau responded by screaming at his team during an intense Monday morning shootaround. That seemed to do the trick, as the Bulls held the Hawks to a franchise-low 20 first-half points - five in the second quarter.

Chicago also set a club record for fewest points allowed in a game while limiting Atlanta to 29.3 percent shooting.

"Everybody was serious about what they needed to do," said Taj Gibson, who finished with eight points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots. "Nobody said a word. Everybody was ready to go. ... We ran back hard. It was the best I've seen our defensive transition all year. We were flying back on D and getting stops. They were frustrated. It's one game. We hope we can build off it."

The Bulls used a balanced offensive attack - a necessity with point guard Derrick Rose still sidelined - as seven players registered at least eight points. Carlos Boozer led the way with 20 while Luol Deng had 18 on 7-of-9 shooting.

"We are playing short-handed," Thibodeau said. "So we have to play with great intensity all the time. You can't relax, never exhale. We have to grind and fight. We have to do it day after day."

Boozer continues to play particularly well, adding 13 rebounds against the Hawks for his eighth double-double in nine games - a span in which he's averaging 21.1 points and 11.1 rebounds.

His 20 double-doubles lead the Eastern Conference, and he has 10 in his last 12 games against Toronto.

After winning 10 of 13, the Raptors (14-24) have lost their last two, including Tuesday's 113-106 defeat at Brooklyn.

Already without Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas due to injuries, Toronto received another scare. Kyle Lowry was initially expected to miss the second half after spraining his ankle, but he returned to score 19 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.

"I thought I was done, but we've got a great training staff," Lowry said. "I've been hurt a lot this year and I just wanted to get back out there with my teammates, and coach trusted me that I said I was OK and he put me back in."

Coach Dwane Casey's team could be even more banged up for Wednesday's game. Casey said Jose Calderon (7.7 assists per game) had a hip pointer and Alan Anderson (11.2 ppg) needed dental work.

The Bulls won all three meetings with Toronto last season, yielding an average of 82.3 points on 40.3 percent shooting.

Boozer scores 36 points, Bulls beat Raptors in OT

By IAN HARRISON
Posted Jan 16 2013 11:33PM

TORONTO (AP) Sore hamstring or not, Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau had no problem trusting Luol Deng with the biggest shot of the game.

Deng hit a tiebreaking jumper with 3 seconds left in overtime and the Chicago Bulls beat Toronto 107-105 on Wednesday night, their eighth victory in nine meetings against the Raptors.

Carlos Boozer had a season-high 36 points and 12 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls.

Deng, who played almost 48 minutes despite injuring his right hamstring in the first quarter, made the decisive shot on a pull-up jumper in the closing seconds of overtime.

To Thibodeau, Deng's big basket was no surprise.

"The guys that have been around and seen him play a lot know that's what he does - whatever you need," Thibodeau said. "You need great defense, he does that. You need a rebound in traffic, he does that. You need a big shot, he does that. To me, that's who he is. That's what makes him such a good player."

Thibodeau initially drew up a different play, but didn't like the matchups when the teams took the court and called timeout again, changing the play to give Deng the shot.

That was fine for Deng, an eight-year veteran who said he's learned how to stay calm and comfortable when the pressure mounts.

"I've been in the league for a while now," he said. "I know what I can do and what I can't do. When it comes to the last minutes of the game, I'm not as nervous or worried about what I'm going to do as I used to be. There's a few things that I do well and I'm going to stick to that."

Deng scored 19 points and Richard Hamilton had 15 as Chicago won its fourth straight road game. The Bulls have won nine of their past 11 away from home.

Wearing a clear plastic wrap on his leg after the game, Deng said he "tweaked" his hamstring while running early in the first, but was able to continue.

"I just felt like I could play through it," he said. "Coach kept asking me, the training staff kept asking me how it felt. Hopefully it won't be too bad tomorrow."

Boozer's double-double was his Eastern Conference leading 21st, and his 11th in 13 games against the Raptors.

"He can score a lot of different ways," Thibodeau said. "Right now he's in a really good rhythm. His teammates are really searching him out."

Alan Anderson fouled out with 27 points, matching his career-high, and Kyle Lowry had 26 as Toronto lost its third straight.

"This is a game we could have had but some balls didn't bounce our way," Lowry said.

DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points and Ed Davis had 11 for the Raptors, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back. Toronto lost at Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The Bulls led 99-95 with 1:16 left in the fourth when Nate Robinson fouled Lowry on a 3-point attempt. The Raptors' guard missed the first of his three free throws, then made the next two, cutting it to 99-97.

Marco Belinelli made 1 of 2 from the line with 1:08 left, putting the Bulls up by three, but Lowry drove past Noah for a layup to make it a one-point game with 53 seconds to play.

Belinelli missed a driving layup and the Raptors called time with 28 seconds to go. Lowry missed a long jumper with the shot clock winding down but Taj Gibson picked up his sixth foul as Amir Johnson grabbed the rebound and went to the line with 12 seconds left. He made the first, tying it at 100-all, but missed the second as Boozer grabbed the rebound.

Chicago let the clock wind down before Belinelli missed a short jumper. Lowry grabbed the rebound and called timeout, giving Toronto 0.7 seconds to try for the winning shot, but Anderson fumbled DeRozan's inbounds pass, sending it to overtime.

After Noah opened the scoring in overtime with a tip-in, Anderson made one of two from the line for Toronto. Boozer answered with a driving layup before Anderson hit a jumper, making it 104-103 with 1:32 to go.

Belinelli made one of two from the line to put Chicago up 105-103 with 15 seconds to go, but Lowry tied it again with a running jumper in the lane with 8 seconds left.

Deng pulled up and hit a jumper over Landry Fields to put the Bulls on top.

"That's Lou's strength right there," Thibodeau said. "A big shot."

Raptors coach Dwane Casey was upset that the officials ruled Amir Johnson was passing, not shooting, when Noah fouled him with one second left, leading to an inbounds play instead of free throws.

"I hope the league looks at that," Casey said. "That's all I'm going to say about it, because it's a very questionable, marginal call at the end of the game. We'll see what the ruling is."

Toronto had one final shot, but Jose Calderon's 3-point attempt bounced off the back rim as the buzzer sounded.

Boozer made his first four shots and scored 17 points in the first as Chicago took a 29-22 lead after one.

"When we get points in the paint like that, it makes the game a lot easier," Deng said of Boozer. "I thought it was one of his best games tonight."

Toronto took its first lead of the game at 38-37 on a 3-pointer by Lowry with 4:59 left in the second. But the lead was short-lived, and Boozer scored six more as Chicago closed the half with a 15-6 run to take a 52-44 lead at the break.

Anderson scored 10 points in the third but the Bulls got 13 from Hamilton, who connected on five of six field goal attempts. Chicago led 79-73 heading to the fourth.

NOTES: Calderon started for Toronto after suffering a hip injury in Tuesday's loss at Brooklyn. ... Lowry, who missed time Tuesday with a sore left ankle, came off the bench for the Raptors. ... Anderson also played after having dental surgery earlier Wednesday to repair a chipped tooth suffered in the loss to the Nets. ... The Raptors fell to 1-3 in overtime games. ... Chicago is 9-0 when scoring 100 points or more.

Luol Deng hit a tiebreaking jumper with 3 seconds left in overtime and the Chicago Bulls beat Toronto 107-105 in overtime on Wednesday night, their eighth victory in nine meetings against the Raptors.

Carlos Boozer had a season-high 36 points and 12 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls.

Deng scored 19 points and Richard Hamilton had 15 as Chicago won its fourth straight road game. The Bulls have won nine of their past 11 away from home.

Boozer's double-double was his Eastern Conference leading 21st, and his 11th in 13 games against the Raptors.

Alan Anderson fouled out with 27 points, matching his career-high, and Kyle Lowry had 26 as Toronto lost its third straight.

DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points and Ed Davis had 11 for the Raptors, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back. Toronto lost at Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The Bulls led 99-95 with 1:16 left in the fourth when Nate Robinson fouled Lowry on a 3-point attempt. The Raptors' guard missed the first of his three free throws, then made the next two, cutting it to 99-97.

Marco Belinelli made 1 of 2 from the line with 1:08 left, putting the Bulls up by three, but Lowry drove past Noah for a layup to make it a one-point game with 53 seconds to play.

Belinelli missed a driving layup and the Raptors called time with 28 seconds to go. Lowry missed a long jumper with the shot clock winding down but Taj Gibson picked up his sixth foul as Amir Johnson grabbed the rebound and went to the line with 12 seconds left. He made the first, tying it at 100-all, but missed the second as Boozer grabbed the rebound.

Chicago let the clock wind down before Belinelli missed a short jumper. Lowry grabbed the rebound and called timeout, giving Toronto 0.7 seconds to try for the winning shot, but Anderson fumbled DeRozan's inbounds pass, sending it to overtime.

After Noah opened the scoring in overtime with a tip-in, Anderson made one of two from the line for Toronto. Boozer answered with a driving layup before Anderson hit a jumper, making it 104-103 with 1:32 to go.

Belinelli made one of two from the line to put Chicago up 105-103 with 15 seconds to go, but Lowry tied it again with a running jumper in the lane with 8 seconds left.

Deng pulled up and hit a jumper over Landry Fields to put the Bulls on top. Toronto had one final shot, but Jose Calderon's 3-point attempt bounced off the back rim as the buzzer sounded.

Boozer made his first four shots and scored 17 points in the first as Chicago took a 29-22 lead after one.

Toronto took its first lead of the game at 38-37 on a 3-pointer by Lowry with 4:59 left in the second. But the lead was short-lived, and Boozer scored six more as Chicago closed the half with a 15-6 run to take a 52-44 lead at the break.

Anderson scored 10 points in the third but the Bulls got 13 from Hamilton, who connected on five of six field goal attempts. Chicago led 79-73 heading to the fourth.

NOTES: Calderon started for Toronto after suffering a hip injury in Tuesday's loss at Brooklyn. ... Lowry, who missed time Tuesday with a sore left ankle, came off the bench for the Raptors. ... Anderson also played after having dental surgery earlier Wednesday to repair a chipped tooth suffered in the loss to the Nets.

Notebook: Bulls 107, Raptors 105, OT

Duane Watson, For NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:46 PM - Updated Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:46 PM

THE FACTS: The Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors 107-105 in overtime at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night. Despite giving up a 19-point lead, the Bulls (22-15) won their second game in a row and fourth on the road. Carlos Boozer's season-high 36 points and 12 rebounds led Chicago, while Luol Deng added 19 points and seven assists. Joakim Noah had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Rip Hamilton scored 15.

The Bulls ended the first half up 52-44, behind Boozer's solid play with 25 points. The third quarter was a series of runs for both teams, which saw the Bulls lead grow to as high as 19, while the Raptors (14-25) clawed to within six points to close the quarter, 79-73. Both teams shot a low 35 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, but Lowry scored 12 points and helped the Raptors close out the quarter on a 10-5 run. Amir Johnson had an opportunity to put the game away with two free throws with 12.1 seconds left, but made one of his two and tied the game at 100-all, sending it to overtime. With eight seconds left in overtime, Kyle Lowry made a floater to tie the game at 105-105, but Deng responded with an 18-foot jumper with 3.8 seconds left to put them up 107-105. Jose Calderon had an opportunity to win the game with an open 3-point shot with one second left on the clock, but it didn't fall.

The bench led the Raptors, as Alan Anderson tied a career-high with 27 points and Lowry added 26 points and seven assists. DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points and Ed Davis contributed 11.

QUOTABLE: "I've been in the league for a while now, I know what I can do and what I can't do. When it comes to the last minutes in a game, I'm not as nervous or worried about what I'm going to do as I used to."

-- Bulls forward Loul Deng on taking the last minute shot

THE STAT: Fouls ... Chicago committed 30 personal fouls and Toronto committed 29, with three players fouling out between both teams. There were numerous whistles blown and stoppages in play that really formulated how close the game was in the fourth quarter and overtime.

TURNING POINT: Chicago inbounded the ball with 8.7 seconds left in overtime after Lowry's floater tied the game at 105-105. Deng made an 18-foot jumper to give the Bulls their final lead at 107-105 with 3.8 seconds on the clock. Subsequently, Calderon missed an open 3-pointer with one second left on the clock.

HOT: Boozer was ready to go, starting the game on a tear with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in the first quarter alone. He finished the game with 36 points and 12 rebounds and has posted double-doubles in 11 of his last 13 games against Toronto.

NOT: Chicago's starters put the ball in the basket, however, their bench didn't fare as well. They were outscored 66-18 by the Raptors, shooting 5-for-21 from the field, and 7-for-14 from the free-throw line.

GOOD MOVE: While Calderon stepped in and played splendidly when Lowry was out with a triceps injury, Lowry was never inserted back into the starting lineup on his return. Raptors coach Dwane Casey maintained he would be eased back into the rotation. Tonight, Casey gave the keys back to Lowry, not letting him start, but keeping him in the game for major minutes and Lowry produced.

BAD MOVE: With 30 seconds left and the Raptors down 100-99, Toronto had a chance to go for a two-for-one with Boozer running up the court with his shoe in his hand. But Casey called time out to run a play.

NOTABLE: Chicago is 9-0 when scoring 100 or more points. Toronto is 0-19 when giving up triple digits in points. ... Boozer's 21 double-doubles leads the Eastern Conference. ... Chicago has won eight of its last nine meetings against Toronto. After winning 10 of 13, the Raptors have lost their last three games. ... Chicago outscored Toronto 54-36 in the paint.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Friday @ Philadelphia, Wednesday at Dallas, Sunday vs. Lakers, Wednesday @ Miami. For the Bulls, Friday @ Boston, Saturday vs. Memphis and Monday vs. Lakers.

• Bulls: Rose
• Raptors: Bargnani, Valanciunas

• Bulls: --
• Raptors: Casey

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 18674
• Duration: 2:56