Brandon Ingram scored 31 points as the Toronto Raptors resumed play after the All-Star break with a 110-101 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
Toronto, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, has now won eight of its last 12 games, improving to 33-23. Ingram filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds and six assists, while Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each contributed 14 points. RJ Barrett added 13 in a balanced offensive effort.
Chicago, playing under assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. while head coach Billy Donovan was away following the passing of his father, dropped its seventh straight game. The Bulls also fell to Toronto two weeks earlier, north of the border.
Late Push Sealed by Toronto
The Bulls made things interesting late in the fourth quarter. Anfernee Simons drilled a 3-pointer to finish a 7-0 run, trimming Toronto’s lead to 103-101 with just over two minutes remaining.
But the Raptors answered quickly. Collin Murray-Boyles converted a three-point play with 1:18 left, and Ingram followed with a midrange jumper with 36 seconds remaining to extend the lead to seven and put the game out of reach.
Bulls Get Reinforcements Back
Simons paced Chicago with 20 points in his fifth appearance since being acquired in a trade from Boston. Isaac Okoro chipped in 16.
Josh Giddey and Tre Jones both returned from hamstring injuries, logging roughly 21 minutes each. Giddey finished with five points and five assists, while Jones recorded 12 points and six assists.
Chicago, now 24-32 and sitting 11th in the East, opened a seven-game homestand with the loss.
Up Next
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Raptors: Travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Sunday.
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Bulls: Continue their homestand Saturday night against Detroit.
