The Chicago Bulls won 111-108 and opened a season with four consecutive victories for the first time since 1996-97.
Forward DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points against his former team, guard Zach LaVine scored 22 points and the Chicago Bulls opened a season with four consecutive wins for the first time since 1996-97., after winning 108-111 away from the Toronto Raptors.
Montenegrin Swiss center Nikola Vucevic scored 17 points and point guard Lonzo Ball reached 15 points as the Bulls won their fourth straight game with Toronto.
England forward OG Anunoby added 22 points and guard Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 when the Raptors lost for the third time in four games.
Toronto guard Fred VanVleet scored 15 points and set a career-high 17 assists. Nigerian power forward Precious Achiuwa also had a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, and rookie forward Scottie Barnes reached 13 points scored.
Chicago opened a 20-point lead with less than three minutes into the second half and was up 86-97 with 7:57 left in the fourth, but Anunoby scored the final five points in a 9-0 streak in Toronto when the Raptors cut the deficit to 95-97 with 4:49 to go.
DeRozan put up jump shots around a couple of personnel pitches from point guard Alex Caruso as the Bulls responded with a 6-0 run that gave them a partial lead of 95-103 with 3:27 left in regulation.
Barnes scored off a Bulls fumble with 15 seconds left, cutting it to 108-110. Vucevic missed the first of two free throws, ending Chicago’s 20-pitch streak in a row, but hit the second to put the Bulls ahead three.
VanVleet missed a potential shot that would have tied the score and forced extra time.
Six different Raptors scored a triple in the second quarter, but Ball had three as Chicago edged Toronto with a 27-37 run to lead at halftime with a 51-61 run.
LaVine scored 13 points in the third and the Bulls took an 80-92 lead in the fourth quarter. (D)
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