The Toronto Raptors came into Monday’s game against the Bulls ready to run and eager to stamp themselves as the best team in the East not named the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But the Bulls, playing their third game in four nights, were ready for a fight and used every trick in the toolbox despite being shorthanded to deliver a win on the scorecard, a 104-97 decision at the United Center.
For the first time this season, it wasn’t Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler or Pau Gasol who led them to a win against a plus-.500 team. Actually Rose and Gasol nearly sat for the entire fourth quarter after scoring 23 of the 29 Bulls points in the third.