Nikola Vucevic led the Chicago Bulls with 24 points. At the same time, Coby White added 19 as Chicago narrowly held off the Toronto Raptors 122-121 on Monday night, securing their fourth win in their last six outings.
Talen Horton-Tucker contributed 15 points, and Ayo Dosunmu chipped in 12, as seven Bulls players reached double figures.
Chicago’s Lonzo Ball struggled from beyond the arc early, missing six of his first seven three-point attempts, but delivered a clutch three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to help secure the win.
The Bulls suffered an injury setback when Josh Giddey rolled his right ankle while defending a shot in the third quarter. He had to be helped off the court and did not return, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in 24 minutes.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 32 points, while rookie Gradey Dick poured in 27 as Toronto nearly erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit. However, their late push fell just short, extending their losing streak to five games.
Jamal Shead banked in a three-pointer at the final buzzer, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. Chris Boucher added 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Ochai Agbaji scored 15 for Toronto.
Takeaways
Bulls: Vucevic returned after missing Sunday’s win over Charlotte due to illness. However, Chicago was without two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, who sat out with back spasms.
Raptors: Toronto was without All-Star forward Scottie Barnes for a second consecutive game after he sprained his right ankle on Dec. 9. Their injury troubles worsened when starting center Jakob Poeltl exited in the third quarter with a strained left groin.
Key Moment
Chicago led 102-86 early in the fourth, but Toronto surged back, cutting the deficit to 112-111 on a Barrett hook shot with 2:28 remaining. White responded with a crucial layup, followed by a three-pointer from Ball to keep the Bulls in control.
Key Stat
The Raptors struggled when playing from behind, falling to 0-14 this season when trailing at halftime. Chicago led 53-50 at the break.
Up Next
Both teams return to action Thursday, with the Bulls visiting the Boston Celtics while the Raptors host the Brooklyn Nets.
