Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Behind 29 points from Derrick Rose and 27 from Jimmy Butler, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors, 129-120, Monday night to capture a third straight win.
After trailing by six points entering the fourth quarter, the Bulls (18-9) exploded for 49 points in the final frame, outscoring Toronto (22-7) by 12 during that span. According to Jeff Mangurten, the Bulls set a "franchise record for most points" with that fourth-quarter scoring run:
As a team, the Bulls shot 54.1 percent from the field and got to the free-throw line a massive 47 times, converting 43 of their opportunities at the stripe. Those 43 made field goals were the most since 1982, per Mangurten:
Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 34 points, but the Raptors' nine missed free throws and 30 percent conversion rate from three in tandem with some porous fourth-quarter defense ultimately doomed Dwane Casey's side.
| Derrick Rose | A+ |
| Pau Gasol | C+ |
| Jimmy Butler | A+ |
| Joakim Noah | B |
| Mike Dunleavy | D- |
| Rest of Team | A- |
| Kyle Lowry | A+ |
| Terrence Ross | B+ |
| Jonas Valanciunas | B+ |
| Amir Johnson | D- |
| Lou Williams | C- |
| Rest of Team | B |
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: A+
As has been the case all season long, Derrick Rose was at his best when attacking the cup with a full head of steam. And while it's been a gradual process, Rose appears to be gaining a bit more confidence in his off-the-dribble capabilities with each passing game.
To that point, Rose was able to gash the Raptors seemingly at will when he sliced and diced perimeter defenders with a quick crossover before bolting into the paint.
Chicago's leading man went on to record a team-high 29 points (12-of-19 shooting; 0-of-3 from three) and three assists. Monday marked the first time since Dec. 12 that Rose had scored at least 20 points, and the 15 he scored in the fourth quarter were simply massive. For ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell, Rose's performance evoked memories of years gone by:
Pau Gasol: C+
It wasn't a banner day defensively for Pau Gasol against the stout Jonas Valanciunas, but it was historic. By dropping 14 points to go with nine rebounds, Gasol crossed the 17,000-point threshold for his career, as the team noted:
However, the Spaniard did commit a team-high four turnovers, the fifth time all season that he coughed the rock up at least four times. With Nikola Mirotic earning crunch-time consideration, Gasol was left to watch the game's final minutes from the pine.
Jimmy Butler: A+
After attempting at least 10 free throws on five occasions all of last season, Jimmy Butler recorded his 11th game with at least that many trips to the stripe in just his 25th appearance this year.
Operating as Chicago's offensive fulcrum, Butler did a nice chunk of his damage at the line with an 11-of-11 tally on freebies. That helped the contract-year swingman finish with 27 points (7-of-16 shooting), a game-high 11 rebounds and four assists—first "back-to-back double-doubles" for Butler, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
And as Heat.com's Couper Moorhead noted, Butler was his usual, stingy self when defending Toronto's most prolific off-the-dribble scorers:
Oh, and he also set a career high with five blocks. Enjoy max-contract living, Jimmy.
Joakim Noah: B
Joakim Noah has largely been an afterthought in the scoring column while battling an ankle injury, but he was able to buck that trend Monday by scoring 14 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field (6-of-8 from the line). Mangurten provided a "fourth-quarter scoring breakdown":
It's also worth noting Monday marked the eighth time in the last nine games that Noah dropped at least three dimes. He finished with four, while committing three turnovers and grabbing four rebounds in a tidy and complete effort.
Mike Dunleavy: D-
The Bulls didn't attempt to seek and destroy Toronto with a flurry of threes (12 attempts total), which understandably marginalized Mike Dunleavy's role within the flow of Chicago's offense.
Thus, the perimeter marksman finished with just three points as James Johnson locked him up while imposing his offensive will. To further illustrate that point, the Bulls were a team-worst minus-six in Dunleavy's 23 minutes on the floor.
Rest of Team: A-
Taj Gibson (sprained right ankle) made his first appearance since Dec. 15, playing 18 minutes in a featured role off the pine. Matched up against Patrick Patterson, Gibson had to work for every inch of space in the post, but he did a fine job, managing 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a typically aggressive showing.
Rookie of the Year candidate Nikola Mirotic functioned as an efficient ancillary scorer, accumulating 12 points (2-of-2 shooting; 7-of-8 from the line) in 18 minutes after exploding for 27 points in last Friday's outing against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich (who exited late with a left hamstring strain) capped off Chicago's bench production by tallying 17 and three points, respectively, on a really steady evening for Tom Thibodeau's reserves.
Toronto Raptors
Kyle Lowry: A+
This is what a signature performance from Kyle Lowry looks like.
The first half was a relatively tame time for the generally feisty floor general, but Lowry came alive over the final 24 minutes. And when the fourth quarter struck, he kicked things into another gear. Lowry was instrumental in Toronto's on-court performance, as noted by NBA.com's Steve Aschburner:
Flashing some Rose-like contortions around the rim, Lowry simply lived in the paint during the game's most crucial stages, pouring in 10 fourth-quarter points below the free-throw line as an off-the-dribble wrecking ball in the lane.
Also posting three assists and six rebounds in an admirable individual effort while shooting 12-of-22 from the field, Lowry reminded us why he's in the running for a starting spot in the All-Star game.
Terrence Ross: B+
Terrence Ross has been a proficient catch-and-shoot weapon this season, but boy did he make sure everyone in Chicago knew that early and often Monday night. As Mangurten pointed out, he tied his season-high record for made threes in the second quarter:
Drilling his first four attempts from beyond the arc, Ross reminded spectators that Toronto's multidimensional attack won't be stymied by DeMar DeRozan's absence. In 35 minutes operating against Chicago's vaunted backcourt, Ross pieced together 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three. He also accrued two steals and a block.
Jonas Valanciunas: B+
The Raptors center entered the evening averaging 7.7 shots per game with a season high of 12, which is why it was staggering to see him score 11 points on 12 field-goal attempts in the first quarter.
Simply working Pau Gasol with his 6'11'', 245-pound frame early, the Lithuanian nightmare went on to finish with 20 points (8-of-18 shooting) and nine rebounds as the bulk of his damage was done over the game's first 12 minutes.
Amir Johnson: D-
Overshadowed by James Johnson and Valanciunas, Amir Johnson was a virtual offensive non-factor in the Toronto frontcourt.
Although he was averaging 10.9 points on better than 60 percent shooting over his last 10 games coming into Monday's contest, Johnson could only manage two points and four boards while shooting 1-of-6 from the floor. His lone conversion from the field didn't come until midway through the third quarter.
Lou Williams: C-
The sixth-man scoring extraordinaire looked like he was on pace for another efficient night with four early conversions from the free-throw line, but it simply wasn't his time to shine.
Lou Williams wasn't afforded many chances to scorch Chicago off the ball and put his signature pump fake to work, which meant he was only able to compile 12 points—half of which came from the line—and four assists off the bench.
All told, he shot just 3-of-10 from the field in the loss.
Rest of Team: B
Give it up for James Johnson, who used a bevy of off-the-dribble maneuvers and fakes to generate 16 points as he continues to rack up starts on the wing in place of the injured DeRozan. Playing against his old team, Johnson looked positively energized as he showed no fear of banging with Chicago's bigs upon entering the paint.
Patterson wasn't quite a box score All-Star (12 points, nine rebounds), but he hounded the tenacious Gibson continually on post entries and crashed the boards with vigor. Greivis Vasquez put forth another disappointing effort, though, with two points (1-of-7 shooting) and four assists in 15 minutes
Coming Up Next
The Raptors will be off until Saturday when they clash with the Los Angeles Clippers at 3:30 p.m. ET in Hollywood. Chicago, meanwhile, will be back in action Tuesday night on the road against the Washington Wizards before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.
