Raps Step Up D in Chi-Town: 99-89 Raps

Facing a tough and somewhat enigmatic Bulls team, the Raptors looked like they were ready to give up on this one in the first half. They controlled much of the first half, but the Bulls made a run late to go up before halftime. Whatever Jay Triano said in the locker room worked, because the Dinos were tenacious on D in the second half, allowing Chicago to shoot just 10-40 from the field and make only three field goals in the fourth quarter. Helped along by another monstrous Chris Bosh performance and an electrifying one-handed slam from DeMar DeRozan, the Raps head back out for another 3-game road trip on a winning note.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game:
Giving to CB4 every game is getting boring. Let's give DMDR his first PotG in the pros. He ignited the Raps in the third quarter with his athleticism and hustle and finished with career highs in points (9), rebounds (9) and blocks (2). Hopefully DeMar can build on this performance, because his main job is to do the little things like he did last night.

Notables:
Andrea Bargnani had a solid game all-around with 16 points, 6 boards and 2 steals. He did have some foul trouble (finished with 5) but when 16 and 6 is an off-night for Il Mago, it seems like he's shed his "first-overall bust" tag.
Hedo Turkoglu continued his remarkable consistency, posting a very solid line of 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Hedo has been a consummate veteran this whole season and is willing to do anything to win ballgames. Hopefully he can inspire the rest of the team to do more of the winning part.
Jose Calderon was busting down defenses all game long and finished with 18 points and 6 assists to a single turnover. When Jose is penetrating as well as he did last night, the Raptor offense is very efficient.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
The Raps got to the line only two more times than Chicago, led by Bosh who continued to post double-digits in FTA in every game this season. However, the Raps were outstanding at the free-throw line, making 22 of 23 attempts for a 95.7 percentage compared to Chicago's 17-21 for 81%. In close games, free throws loom large, and the Dinos made the most of them.