This was supposed to be a recap in which I copy-and-pasted large chunks of the one I wrote for the Raptors’ 117-100 win on opening night in hopes that no one would notice. For three quarters, this game was eerily similar to the Raptors-Bulls match-up of three-ish weeks ago.
Then the fourth quarter happened, so I guess we have to address that.
After 36 minutes of gorgeous, egalitarian Raptors offense and a predictable storm of bricks being conjured by the Bulls, Toronto’s one-time 23-point lead vaporized through a combination of dual-ended passiveness and Bobby Portis deciding it was time to get some buckets.