The Chicago Bulls’ season opener was over almost before it started, and the final box score told the whole story. Toronto hammered Chicago 135-92 at Scotiabank Arena, handing the Bulls their single-worst opening night performance in franchise history and leaving them with more turnovers than assists.
It was the kind of first game that can knock the air out of a building. The Raptors jumped ahead 7-0 right away after forcing a pair of early turnovers, and a quick timeout from Tiago Splitter - a nod to Billy Donovan in the process - didn’t change much.
Chicago was cold, disorganized, and repeatedly late in transition. Toronto piled up 12 of its 34 fastbreak points in the first quarter and kept slicing into the paint with ease.
The fouls only made matters worse. The Bulls spent much of the night putting Toronto on the line, continuing an issue that showed up during the preseason.
But on the other end, Chicago did at least show one thing it can lean on: attacking the rim. Tre Jones, Norman Powell, and Matas Buzelis all helped pressure the basket, and that pushed the Bulls to a 34-47 night at the free throw line.
For a team built to get there often, that part of the plan was there.
What never showed up was the shot-making. Chicago opened 0-7 from three-point range and didn’t get its first make from deep until Caleb Wilson connected from the corner.
By halftime, the Bulls were just 2-20 from long range and had shot only 28.9 percent overall in the first two quarters. The night only got uglier from there: Chicago finished 27-85 from the field and 4-36 from beyond the arc.
Ball security was just as bad. The Bulls had 11 turnovers in the first half and ended with 27.
Toronto’s pressure took away easy entries and clogged up the halfcourt offense, which never found much rhythm. Chicago managed just 16 assists on its 27 field goals, a line that says plenty about how the offense functioned.
There were a few individual bright spots in the wreckage. Jalen Smith gets the top grade with a B after scoring the Bulls’ first 8 points and helping on the glass and on putbacks, even if he couldn’t steady the defense.
Wilson had flashes too, throwing down a couple of emphatic finishes, including a drive that put Trayce Jackson-Davis on a poster. He also became the first Bull to record three steals in his NBA debut since Derrick Rose, per CHSN.
Matas Buzelis had a rough night finding his groove, but he adjusted enough to draw contact and finished with a career-high 13-16 from the free throw line. Norman Powell also didn’t fill it up the way Chicago needed, though he did go 7-11 at the stripe and did what he could to keep the Bulls within reach.
Josh Giddey’s night went the other direction. He started with a few quick assists, then unraveled as the game wore on, finishing with 2 points on 1-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, five turnovers, and a -39. He struggled to get clean looks at the rim, had trouble with the ball pressure, and picked up a technical foul in the second half.
Splitter also emptied the bench late, giving Noa Essengue, Jaylin Sellers, and Tobe Awaka second-half run. All three brought energy and had moments, even if none of it changed the outcome. For a Bulls team at the start of a rebuild, the opener was a harsh reminder of how far there is still to go.
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