What we learned from the Chicago Bulls' latest loss to the Toronto Raptors

Chicago's first-quarter troubles persisted in Toronto.

© John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls’ weekend did not get off to a great start as they got walloped by the Toronto Raptors, 121-108, officially eliminating them from the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Here are two takeaways from the Bulls’ latest defeat:

Another game, another slow start

In what has become a trend that needs to be corrected ASAP, the Bulls’ string of slow starts continued in Toronto as they trailed by 14, 36-22, after the first 12 minutes of action. From there, the uphill climb continued as the lead grew to 20, 44-24, after two free-throws by Raptors guard Malachi Flynn after a couple of technical fouls were called on the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond.

1st quarter scoring last 7 games:

22 points
14 points
27 points
14 points
16 points
21 points
18 points

Hard to win like that.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 25, 2023

No other team in the entire league scores fewer points in the first quarter than the Bulls. Chicago is averaging just 24 points in the first this season.

The team’s defensive ace, Alex Caruso, said the team must do something to correct this concerning habit before the losing gets out of hand.

"A lot of times, we wait and try to match the energy of the other team or see what the game is going to be rather than setting the tone ourselves," Caruso said.

"We gotta change something, whether it’s players playing a different style or different rotations. Players have to play better."

Zach LaVine got hot

After missing the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, All-Star guard Zach LaVine showed the kind of incendiary scoring he has built a reputation for in the league. LaVine scored 36 points, making 16 of his 23 shots from the field. Though he curiously did not shoot a single free throw in this game, he made four three-pointers.

He tallied 12 of the Bulls’ 26 points in the second and added 12 more in the fourth when they outscored the Raptors 31-28.

Zach’s up to 32 points with over 7 mins left in the 4th 🔥@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/PhLtnLMdgW

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 25, 2023

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