Raptors face DeRozan and Bulls in play-in rematch on TSN
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Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors take on DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls in a rematch of last season's play-in game on Friday night.
In last year's matchup between the ninth-seeded Raptors and 10th-seeded Bulls, Chicago rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit to stun the Raptors 109-105 and advance to the second play-in game against the Miami Heat.
One of the major reasons for the Raptors collapse was the team's ineptitude from the free-throw line, going 18-for-36 with DeRozan's daughter, Diar, famously screaming before each attempt.
Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 32 points and nine rebounds with now-former Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet added 26 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Bulls all-star guard Zach LaVine led all scorers with 39 points while DeRozan added 23 in the victory.
Chicago went on to ultimately lose to Jimmy Butler and the Heat 102-91 in the second play-in game for the right to enter the NBA playoffs.
The Raptors opened the 2023-24 campaign with a 97-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Newly acquired point guard Dennis Schroder led the Raptors with 22 points and seven assists while OG Anunoby added 20 points and six rebounds.
Siakam also contributed 15 points and seven rebounds while Barnes was all over the score sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five blocks.
The Bulls opened their season with a 20-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, which led to the players holding a closed-door meeting after the game.
DeRozan led the team with 20 points and five rebounds in the loss, while LaVine added 16 points and four rebounds.
The Raptors won the regular season series against the Bulls last year with a 2-1 advantage with the Bulls getting the last laugh in the play-in game.
FanDuel Odds - Bulls vs. Raptors
Moneyline:
Raptors: +115
Bulls: -136
Spread:
Raptors: +2.5 (-112)
Bulls: -2.5 (-112)
Over/Under:
218.0
Raptors: -110
Bulls: -110