Toronto Raptors (39-29) beat Chicago Bulls (28-41) 139-109 on the road on Wednesday, March 18. The final margin was 30 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Raptors struck first, taking the opening quarter 32-17 and a 15-point lead after one. The Raptors kept the pressure on with a 40-28 second quarter, carrying a 27-point lead into halftime.
The Raptors won the third 36-31 to create some separation, taking a 32-point lead into the fourth. The Bulls took the fourth 33-31; the Raptors held on for a 139-109 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Raptors got more from their shots, finishing at 65.5% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.4% for the Bulls. The Raptors made 34.5 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 23.5 for the Bulls. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 109 possessions per team, the Raptors produced 127.6 points per 100 possessions to 100.1 for the Bulls.
The Raptors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 64-46.
Who stood out
Ja'Kobe Walter was the game's biggest individual force for TOR: 18 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast on 4-6 shooting. His Game Score of 17.6 led everyone. His team was +20 with him on the floor.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 55% for the Raptors.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Chicago Bulls lead 4-2.
The Raptors are now 39-29, and the Bulls are 28-41. The Raptors last five before this game: W-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.