After the Bulls built their lead up to 15 in the third quarter, it seemed like the rest of the game was just a formality. Then, the Raptors began to sneak ever closer until finally, Amir Johnson made it a one-point game with 34 seconds remaining. Toronto then had a chance to win it after a Bulls shot-clock violation. It came down to All-Star DeMar DeRozan, whose attempt to win it was rejected by Jimmy Butler. The Bulls' everyman split a pair of free throws before a final desperation shot by DeRozan failed to fall through.
Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 20 points, making several of his offensive contributions on the inside. Kirk Hinrich had a drink from the Fountain of Youth to score 19 and make all three of his three-point attempts. D.J. Augustin let his former team know firsthand how foolish they were to dump him this season, matching Hinrich's 19 and scoring 13 in the fourth quarter. Butler had 16, Taj Gibson added 10 before fouling out and Joakim Noah dished out 13 assists, a mark not reached by a center since Vlade Divac in 1996.
I may respect the Raptors for how they came back, but not for the way several of them acted. I'm particularly referring to Tyler Hansbrough, who got tangled up with Mike Dunleavy during the third quarter. He seemed to be the instigator, although a double foul was called. Seven technicals in all were called, including one against Tom Thibodeau. The referees weren't allowing anyone to get away with much, but perhaps, the bigger thing to take away is that cooler heads should always prevail. It's a miracle no one was ejected.
It's very possible these two teams will meet in the postseason. Only half a game separates them between the third and fourth seeds, and considering how close the rest of the conference is bunched together, it wouldn't shocking to see it come into fruition. If tonight was any indication, there would be no love lost between the teams. Considering how intense those games can be and how many Bulls playoff series have matched that hype in the past five years, I would most certainly look forward to it. Never thought I'd say this about Bulls-Raptors, but anything can brew at anytime in the NBA.
The Bulls return home Friday against the Denver Nuggets. Will Noah continue his impression of a point guard? What other offensive magic does Augustin have in his arsenal? All these and more will be questions that come up time and again during the next half of the season. One that will be answered definitely tomorrow afternoon is if the club will take advantage of the trade deadline. My guess is no, but again, predictability has no place in this world.
No comments:
Post a Comment