Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen lead Chicago Bulls past Toronto Raptors tsn.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tsn.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
TORONTO Zach LaVine scored 24 points, Lauri Markkanen added 20 and the Chicago Bulls beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 114-102 on Thursday night. The Bulls pulled within two games of idle Washington with two remaining for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final play-in spot. Chicago led by 24 in the third quarter, with the Raptors holding out their best players, and came away with the win despite a big effort by Stanley Johnson. LaVine, coming off a 41-point in Tuesday s loss to Brooklyn, scored 16 in the second half. Markkanen made six 3-pointers - one shy of his season high.
Pregame: Peaking Blazers Meet Laboring Suns On Second Leg Of Back-To-Back
Postseason seeding is still at stake for both Portland and Phoenix in Thursday s crucial matchup.
Author:
Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images
Postseason seeding is still at stake for both Portland and Phoenix in Thursday s crucial matchup.
Opponent: Phoenix Suns (48-21 overall, 6-4 overall)
Offensive Rating: 116.0 (seventh)
Broadcast: ESPN/NBC Sports Northwest
Point Spread: Phoenix -4.5
Over/Under: 235
Portland: Zach Collins (out), Nassir Little (questionable)
Primer: The Suns, struggling a bit recently, still have a shot to steal the top playoff seed in the West. Chris Paul, Devin Booker and company are just a game-and-a-half back of the Utah Jazz with three to play, their chances buoyed by owning the head-to-head tie-breaker – and the Blazers convincing victory over Utah on Wednesday during the first leg of an arduous back-to-back.
Two years from winning their first NBA championship, the Raptors are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
While it is easy to label this season a disappointment, it is important to point out the circumstances that Toronto faced this season. COVID-19 restrictions left the Raptors without a home and forced them to play in Tampa, Florida for the entire season.
After climbing to .500 in late February, Toronto endured a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined most of their coaching staff and key players, including Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
Toronto would go on to lose thirteen of its next fourteen games.
Photo by Brandon Todd/NBAE via Getty Images
Norman Powell has threaded the needle inside his role since joining the Portland Trail Blazers in late March. But it’s more than just his two-way play that has his teammates grinning. Powell’s championship experience has helped guide the team through its recent rocky stretch, writes Lindsey Wisniewski NBA Sports Northwest.
Powell, who landed in Portland in exchange for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood, has averaged 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 33.9 minutes. His productive play comes 22 months after Powell and his former Toronto Raptors teammates held aloft the Larry O’Brien Trophy.