The Bulls’ first game under Tiago Splitter turned into a blowout fast, and there was no slow burn to this one. Chicago never got in front, kept coughing up the ball, and walked out of Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday with a 135-92 loss to the Raptors in its season opener.
Toronto came out firing and set the tone immediately. The Raptors scored the first seven points, then buried Chicago under a barrage of threes in the opening quarter.
Immanuel Quickley knocked down three deep shots from 25 feet or beyond in the final 4:19 of the frame, while Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter each added a triple of their own. By the end of the first, Toronto was ahead 43-23.
It was 69-44 at halftime, and the gap ballooned to 48 in the fourth.
The Bulls’ problems showed up in every key area. They shot just 4-for-36 from three and finished at 32% overall.
Chicago also turned the ball over 27 times, and Toronto turned those miscues into 35 points. The Bulls managed only eight points off the Raptors’ 11 turnovers.
Toronto won the fast-break battle 34-13, controlled points in the paint 58-40, and piled up 31 assists to Chicago’s 16.
There was at least one area where the Bulls kept themselves from getting buried even more: the free-throw line. Chicago went 34 of 47 there and grabbed 21 offensive rebounds, but those extra possessions never came close to offsetting the misses and turnovers.
Caleb Wilson had a difficult regular-season debut after coming off his cleanest preseason outing in the 133-116 win over Minnesota. In 32 minutes, he scored 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting and committed nine turnovers.
He also had three steals, and his first-quarter three off a Josh Giddey pass was one of only four Bulls made threes on the night. Wilson finished minus-45, the worst figure on the floor.
Giddey had six assists but struggled badly as a scorer, going 1 of 10 for two points. He also picked up a technical foul early in the fourth quarter.
Chicago did get a few solid individual efforts in an otherwise rough night. Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 17 points, with 13 of those coming at the line, and added six rebounds.
Jalen Smith scored Chicago’s first eight points and ended with 15 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes. Norman Powell also chipped in 15, and Tre Jones gave the second unit a jolt with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench.
Toronto had plenty rolling on its side, too. Kawhi Leonard, back in Toronto, scored 23 points and went 11-for-11 at the foul line. Barnes and Quickley each finished with 23, with Quickley also handing out seven assists, and RJ Barrett added 20.
The Bulls were without Nic Claxton, who was out with a hamstring injury, and Jordan Hawkins and Dailyn Swain also missed the game because of illness. Chicago is now 0-1 and heads to Milwaukee on Friday before opening the United Center schedule against Washington on Saturday.
In Other News...
Bulls Young Frontcourt Has A Huge Chance To Answer That Opener
After the rough night against Toronto, Chicago gets an immediate chance to show whether its frontcourt can help steady things against Milwaukee. The matchup offers a different kind of test for the Bulls, one built around size, length and how coach Tiago Splitter chooses to use it against a Bucks team whose wings have been under the microscope in recent games.
The schedule wrinkle only adds to the odd feel of the afternoon. The game was pushed from its usual evening slot to an early tip, and for a Bulls group trying to bounce back, that kind of adjustment can matter almost as much as the opponent. If Chicago is going to make this one feel like a reset, it may come down to how well its young bigs handle the physical side of the matchup from the opening minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls First Win Showed Exactly How This Rebuild May Be Coached
The Bulls first win of the season came with a reminder that this rebuild may be more about coaching than pedigree, at least in the early going. Against the Bucks, Tiago Splitter leaned into bench options and got real production from Leonard Miller, Tre Jones and Caleb Wilson, while the group around them helped Chicago steady itself and turn the game in its favor.
What stood out was how Splitter managed the final stretch with a willingness to trust the deeper part of the roster over more familiar names. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis were not the pieces driving that late push, and the Bulls looked more connected for it, leaving Chicago at 1-1 with a first glimpse of how this staff may want to shape the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Get A Needed Boost As Josh Giddey Concern Lingers
The Bulls are heading into their matchup with the Bucks looking for a quick response after dropping their season opener, and the injury report brings at least a little relief. Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins have both been upgraded to probable after sitting out the previous game with illness, giving Chicago a better chance to have more bodies available as it tries to steady itself early in the year.
Josh Giddey is also listed as probable, which matters because he has been dealing with a wrist issue that began in the preseason and lingered into the opener. Nic Claxton remains out with a hamstring injury, leaving the Bulls to sort through a frontcourt situation that is still not fully settled as they prepare for one of the Easts tougher early tests. [Read more 🡒]