Raptors Rewind- Tale Of Two Halves

It is The Chuck Swirsky Bowl at the ACC as the Raptors take on the Bulls. For Chuck's former squad the talk is all about defense, rebounding and effort. While the Bulls are feeling like they got robbed the night before at home against Denver. The questions of about the D are not going away. The Raps need a win badly as they hit the road for the west coast for the next 4. No excuses will be acceptable the Raps need a win and that is the bottom line. An early season gut check for the Raptors in this season in just game number 8 of the season. Can they get it done? Time to find out.

1st Quarter

Chicago win the opening tap and jack up a quick jumper from Noah that does not fall. Raps miss but get a double D offensive rebound. But Bosh fails to convert and Taj Gibson the USC team mate of Demar Derozan scores on the other end. Bosh gets to the line where he leads the NBA at 14.9 attempts per game. He makes both than on other end gets a block. Demar is blocked by Gibson but Jose would score after the Bulls failed to do so. Bulls get to the line and tie the score at 4. Gibson cashes in on a second chance opportunity. Jose drives and scores and Gibson answers. However Jose answer back and it is 8-6 Raptors.

Noah a tap back to tie it up. Raps get a rare 3 pointer from Demar DeRozan...He would score later via the drive and Raps lead it 13-12. Noah gets banged up and need to get so bleeding taken care of on the bench as he was fouled. He steps to the line all patched up and drops both at the line. Raps dial it up from long range as Hedo Turkoglu hits the 3. Bulls answer with a quick 2 and game is tied at 16 midway through the quarter.

Hedo to Bosh for a little jam action and the Bulls quick to answer. Bosh makes it back to back scores for him. Back to back turnovers and the score remains 20-18 Raptors with a time out on the floor. Reggie Evans is rocking the polo shirt with jacket on the bench and liking what he sees early. Bargs fights on the defensive glass and gets a board but a DeRozan turnover in transition does not make it produce points. Jarrett Jack is in the game and drives and scores plus the and 1 foul and Raps lead 23-18. Raps get 2 chances at a 3 and come up empty. Bulls offense has gone cold one for their last 7. Andera makes them pay for the latest miss with a nice move to score 2. Raptors up 25-17 and Vinnie Del Negro wants a time out. Chicago scores out of the time out and the Raps have a failed trip leading by 5. Taj Gibson is pumped up to play his USC running mate he scores again. Belinelli draws a blocking foul and gets to the line. Captain Kirk hits a 3 and the Raps lead is just 2. Jack misses on and a turnover and a Belinelli chuck does not fall.

After 1- Raptors lead 27-25

2nd Quarter.

Bulls shooting just 41% a nice start for the much talked about Raptors D. But just a 2 point lead make that a tie as Gibson makes the steal and score and he has 10 points early. Bosh fouled and heading to the line making both and he is 4-4 on the night at the stripe. Bulls other rookie James Johnson with the score. Bosh draws a foul and gets back to the line. Bosh make both again and the Raps lead 31-29. Bosh goes for a block and gets called for goaltending. Wright into the game hits on his first attempt of the night. He missed his second and the Bulls would miss on the following possession. Raps get a turnover that should have been a kicked ball on Rasho but instead an easy basket for Jack. Raptors lead 35-31.

The Bulls go on a 6-0 run and take the lead and Jay Triano calls a time out. Bulls on top 37-35. Bosh drives and scores out of the time out to tie it back up. Bosh a steal and the lead pass ahead to Hedo for the uncontested score. Hedo was not done hitting the open 3 pointer and Raps lead was 42-37. Bosh does not get a call on a foul and Bulls do and are heading to the line down 3. The foul the Bulls got was on Bargnani his second. Raptors get a much needed 3 pointer from Jose to jump back into the lead after trailing briefly 45-44. Bulls would run off 4 straight and Bulls were back in front 49-47. Andrea hits on a 3 and another see-saw affair sees the Raps up 50-49. Taj Gibson was a steal in the draft and is showing you why scoring again to give Bulls the lead 51-50. Raps split a pair at the line and score is tied at 51 with 2 to play in the half. The man who God told not to come to T-Dot AKA John Salmons for 3. Bulls score again and the lead is 5...Time out Triano. Inside to Bosh out of the time out for the easy dunk. Noah one ups Bosh with a bit more impressive jam on the other end. The Defense again not looking good. Bulls have not scored 100 points all year. A Deng jumper gave the Bulls 60 in the half and they would take a 7 point lead into the half at 60-53.

At Half- Bulls Lead 60-53.

Leading Scorers- Bosh 14, Gibson 12

Shooting %- Bulls 52.1% Raptors 40.9%

3rd Quarter

Can the Raps pull this thing out of the fire? They better or it could be a long flight to L.A. Taj Gibson missed on his first attempt and Demar also misses as it is 0-2 USC to start the half. Noah the easy tap back and not a body on him. Raps just looking worse as we go along. Rose hits on a pull up and Bulls have their largest lead of the night at 11. Bargnani finally answers the bell and scores. But Gibson answers right back for the Bulls. They lead the game 66-55. Demar DeRozan the second best USC gut on floor tonight but he hits on a jumper. Again the Bulls have a quick answer to keep an 11 point lead. Jose scores and again Deng has the answer for Chicago. Chris Bosh gets a bucket and gets it back to single digits once more. Chicago in front 70-61.

Demar DeRozan shows you a little something...something with the SLAM!!! Raps down 7 and crowd back into it which is cause for Bulls to call a time out. Chicago fail to score out of the time out but Gibson gets a stop on DeRozan and the Bulls score off that stop and make the lead 9 once again. Bosh scores and rebounds a Bulls miss on D. That would lead to a Bargnani jumper plus a foul which he makes and the Raps closest they have been in awhile down 4. Gibson hits a jumper and is having the best night of his young career. Gibson gets tagged for a defensive 3 second call and Raps make tech and Hedo makes the jumper and the lead is just 3. Bosh now gets called for a defensive 3 second call...Bull make tech and it is 75-71 Bulls.

Bosh rebounds a miss on the D. He gets an offensive board on a DD miss and score. Lead is just 2 for the Bulls with a time out on the floor. Raps have a turnover and Miller gets to the line and splits a pair. Wright scores and the Bulls lead is just 1. Bulls a turnover and a chance to take the lead but instead the Raps turn it right back over. Rose gets fouled in transition and heads to the line and makes a pair. The Bulls lead it 78-75 late in the 3rd quarter. Amir Johnson battles on the board and scores. Raps have another chance to take the lead ut Wright missed a jumper. Makes up for it with a block on the other end. Raps get a loose ball foul and will inbound with 6.9 to play in the quarter. Ball is knocked out with 1.1 to go and Raps fail to get a shot up.

After 3- Bulls Lead 78-77.

4th Quarter.

Raps have brought the Bulls shooting % down only slightly to 47%. Bulls score to open quarter and the Raps turn it over on an offensive for by Bargs. Next possession for the Raps, Jack is tagged for a travel. Andrea makes a play on D and Belinelli the finish on O in transition. Bulls answer and keep the lead at 3. Bargnani is able to score and Deng is the answer man again for the Bulls with back to back buckets. Bosh checks in for Bargnani with 9:06 to play and he gets a score right away and lead back to just 1.

Amir Johnson is showing some hustle and stays in there with Bosh. Deng makes a pair as Rose gets off the bench ready to check in next stoppage. Bulls lead it 86-83. Hedo takes a 3 to tie it but no dice. He gets a steal on D and missed a lay up in transition. Bosh gets a foul call and he gets to the line with 6:54 to play. Chris makes both and the Raps once again have closed to down just 1. Hedo makes a great rebound only to throw it away and then is called on an over the back call sending Gibson to the line. Gibson makes 2 at the line despite Reggie Evans cheerleader efforts on the bench. Bosh did not get a call the first time but goes right back at it and does the second time around. Time out on the floor and Raps still trail by 3.

Bosh makes both at the line and Raps for what seems like the 300 time trail by 1. A Noah offensive foul and a Calderon drive and score and finally the Raps have a lead at 89-88. Bargnani gets a steal and a clear path foul. 2 at the line for Bargs and Raps ball...He makes the free throws. Raps lead extends to 91-88 and can extend it further with the extra possession and they do with a Jose jumper. The Raps lead 93-88 and the Bulls miss again they are 0-5 from field in last several trips. Bargnani called for an offensive foul and time out on the floor with Raps up 5 and looking to close the is game out. Much better effort on D in the second half and Raps being rewarded finally with a lead. Rose missed on a jumper but Gibson draws the foul as he tries to get the board. There is 4:13 to play and Gibson goes 0 for 2 at the line. Raps can't take advantage as they commit a turnover. Another Bulls miss and Bosh gets his 10 rebound. He drives hard looking for the foul call and did not get it. Bulls miss again and Calderon gets the layup as he slipped out and got the open layup. Bulls called on a travel as Raps lead 95-88 under 3 to play. Bosh scores on a tap back off an Amir Johnson miss. Bosh has 28 and 10...Raps on a 16-4 run. Bulls to this point shooting 19% in the quarter. Another miss and it goes out off the Bulls with under 2 to play.

Bargnani checks in for Johnson. Pass intended for Bosh goes out of bounds. Bulls can buy a basket they miss again and are 0 for their last 13. Raps up 9 with the ball with 1:03 to go. Refs are checking the replay some bitter irony for the Bulls I am sure. Not sure what they are checking out. Seems they are trying to determin who the ball went out off of when it went out of bounds. After a long delay it remains Raps ball. Raps fail to score and Bulls take a 3 miss it and Noah fouls out battling Bargnani for the board. Andrea makes both and Raps are going to take this one as they lead 99-88. A turnover by the Raps will likely mean no pizza...BUT WHO CARES!!! Jose will dribble it out and take a 99-89 win to move back to .500 at 4-4.

Final Score- Raptors 99 Bulls 89

Leading Scorers- Toronto- Bosh 28 Bulls- Gibson and Deng 18

Other Notables for Raps: Calderon 18 points 6 assists and just 1 T.O, Demar Derozan 9 points and 9 boards and Bulls end up shooting just 39.8% and were 0 for there last 15 attempts scoring just 29 points in the second half.

Shame on the Raptors for the effort in the first half. However full marks to how they responded in the second half. This win was a big one for the Raps who can now take a little momentum with that win. The Raps Had not held anyone under 100 points and the Bulls never had scored 100 points on the season. If you saw the half time score it sure looked like the Bulls were going to end their streaks. So off to L.A to play the the Griffinless Clippers.