No. 5: Bulls take down the Raptors for the umpteeth straight time
The NBA season is long and grueling. Minutes add up and back-to-backs take their tole on players’ health. Overtime games take an extra boost of energy from already tired bodies and prove disheartening if they end up as a loss on the record.
The Bulls weathered the storm of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan quite nicely. The two Toronto All-Stars combined for 63 points and got to the free-throw line 31 times, cashing in on 27 of those 31 attempts.
What’s the best way to counter an outstanding performance from two All-Stars? Have your future Hall of Famer (Wade) and current All-Star (Butler) play at an equal level. Wade had 20 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds and Butler went off for 42 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists. Wade and Butler made a mark of their own at the line, making 25 of their combined 27 attempts.
Toronto is a good team that has frequently been finishing among the top teams in the Eastern Conference so beating them in an overtime game sends a message that just because the Bulls might not be a top seed, doesn’t mean they’ll be an easy playoff elimination.