Trent Junior scores 24 as short-handed Raptors beat Bulls 118-107
By Patrick Rose, The Associated Press on January 30, 2024.
CHICAGO (AP) – Gary Trent Jr. scored 24, Bruce Brown added 19 points and seven rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a 118-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. After trailing by as many as 16, the short-handed Raptors trimmed the Bulls’ lead to 77-75 late in the third quarter on Brown’s basket. Then with 2:46 left in the quarter, Jordan Nwora converted a four-point play to give the Raptors an 83-82 lead, and followed with another 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 88-83 with 1:43 left. Nwora, who was acquired in a trade with the Pacers, scored 17 points. Jalen McDaniels’ three got the lead up to 102-94 with 8:41 left, but DeMar DeRozan rallied the Bulls, going by Brown for a dunk in the lane to cut it to 104-100 with 7:12 left. Toronto got the momentum right back they trapped DeRozan, forcing a turnover and easy layup for Thaddeus Young and Trent made a three on the next possession to get the lead back up to 109-100. DeRozan was able to get it within 111-106 on a pair of free three-throws with 2:07 left but Young answered with a layup for the Raptors. Young finished 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists. DeRozan finished with 25 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 21. The Raptors were without three starters in RJ Barrett (knee swelling), Immanuel Quickley (quadriceps contusion) and Jakob Poeltl. Poetl missed his 11th straight game with an ankle sprain. Trent scored 13 points in the first quarter on 5-of-8 shooting and had 16 in the half but Toronto still trailed 63-53 at halftime. Dosunmu scored 13 points in the half for the Bulls and was a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss at least two more weeks with an injured left foot. Williams’ foot issue prevented him from playing Sunday in a 104-96 victory at Portland. Before the game, the Bulls announced that the 6-foot-7 forward has acute bone edema and will get reassessed in about two weeks. Williams is averaging 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 27.3 minutes this season. Bulls coach Billy Donovan is hoping to get him back after the All-Star break. UP NEXT Raptors: Visit the Houston Rockets on Friday for the third stop in a six-game road trip. Bulls: Travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets on Wednesday. — AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA 17-16
