RJ Barrett scored 23 points while Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Ja’Kobe Walter chipped in 18 apiece to boost the visiting Toronto Raptors to a 139-109 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Toronto shot 57.1% from the floor to cruise in the opener of a five-game road trip. Seven players scored in double figures for the Raptors, who led by as many as 38 points on the way to their third straight win..
Jakob Poeltl and Sandro Mamukelashvili both scored 17 points for Toronto and Immanuel Quickley finished with 10 points and seven assists. Poeltl grabbed eight boards and Barnes added seven as the Raptors finished plus-seven on the glass (43-36).
Matas Buzelis paced Chicago with 19 points and seven rebounds. Rob Dillingham added 15 points while Collin Sexton (14), Leonard Miller (13) and Jalen Smith (10) followed.
Sexton returned after missing the past four games with a lower-leg injury.
Toronto swept the three-game season series from Chicago, with no victory coming by fewer than 16 points.
The Raptors connected on 14 of 33 attempts from long range (42.4%). Barrett contributed three treys, matching Buzelis for the game high.
Chicago’s Josh Giddey, who entered with five triple-doubles in seven March games, was held to nine points, three assists and without a rebound. His previous season low for rebounds was two.
Toronto seized control with a dominant first quarter, scoring the first eight points of the game and not looking back. Walter contributed five points during a 34-second stretch late in the quarter to push the Raptors’ advantage to 15 after 12 minutes.
The Raptors tallied 21 first-quarter points off second-chance opportunities and Bulls turnovers.
Ball control woes again hampered Chicago, which committed seven turnovers in the first quarter, 11 in the opening half and 19 for the game.
Chicago trailed 72-45 at the half, limited to 38.5% shooting while allowing Toronto to connect on 60% of its field-goal attempts.
Led by Barrett’s 14 points, Toronto had four players with double-digit points in the first half. Buzelis topped Chicago with nine.
The Bulls have lost three of four.
–Field Level Media
