Raptors' relentless scoring crushed Bulls' postseason hopes. Chicago fell behind early, surrendering to Toronto's offensive power and insurmountable deficit.
Though the players saw a beacon of postseason hope on the floor, the flame spiraled out as the Chicago Bulls were dismantled in the first half.
The Bulls were overwhelmed by the Toronto Raptors' lucrative scoring power, 139-109, on Wednesday night at the United Center. From the opening tip, Chicago fell into an insurmountable deficit early. Trailing by 27 points entering the second half, Chicago found the mountain too steep to climb and ultimately surrendered, unable to generate any sustained momentum against Toronto's balanced form.
On the home side, Matas Buzelis led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds. Rob Dillingham recorded his fourth consecutive double-digit game with 15 points. Collin Sexton followed with 14 points and five assists. Yuki Kawamura, who came off the bench with seven minutes in the final frame, posted five points, two assists and a team-high +8 in plus-minus value.
Mar 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) passes the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesToronto features seven players recording double-digit scoring. RJ Barrett dominated with 23 points. Jakob Poeltl posted 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Raptors opened with a 7-0 lead while the Bulls remained dormant for the first two minutes. Jalen Smith broke the early silence by knocking down two free throws after drawing a foul. Chicago immediately stormed back with 10 points, trimming the gap to four.
But after Brandon Ingram and Barrett took over the offense, Toronto built an 11-point cushion. Ball-handling issues and rebounding woes cost the Bulls dearly, creating an early double-digit deficit. Though Colin Sexton, who had missed the previous four games with a lower left leg contusion, provided a spark with five quick points, the Bulls derailed as Toronto extended the gap to 32-17.
The Raptors protected their 15-point lead through the first three minutes of the second quarter until Buzelis broke away with back-to-back catch-and-shoot triples, cutting it to 10 before a Chicago timeout. However, Toronto answered with another five-point surge to restore its 15-point advantage, forcing the Bulls to burn another timeout with approximately six minutes remaining before halftime.
Chicago remained helpless under pressure from Toronto's multifaceted offensive arsenal, watching the deficit balloon to 27 points entering the halftime break.
The Bulls entered the second half with two consecutive three-pointers, but the Raptors maintained their dominance with a comfortable cushion. Josh Giddey tried rejuvenating the offense through a driving layup, followed by another finish from Buzelis. But Toronto methodically wore down every wave of Chicago's offense by trading baskets.
With shooting woes and defensive sloppiness haunting the Bulls throughout, the Raptors padded their lead past 30 points, effectively putting the game out of reach and forcing Chicago to wave the white flag later on.
The Bulls will play a back-to-back at the United Center, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.