Bulls 109, Raptors 107
TORONTO -- Doug McDermott scored 29 points, and the Chicago Bulls led from the early stages of the first quarter on the way to a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night at Air Canada Centre.
McDermott, who was averaging nine points per game, torched Toronto off the bench for the second straight game, having put up a career-high 30 points when the teams met in February.
Chicago (33-32) recorded its ninth consecutive victory over the Raptors. Toronto (44-21) has not defeated Chicago since Dec. 31, 2013.
The Bulls led by as many as 13 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Raptors, who had won 15 of their previous 16 games at home, battled back.
Toronto's DeMar DeRozan scored on a layup to cut the deficit to 106-105 with 19.6 seconds to go.
After Nikola Mirotic hit a pair of free throws to widen the Chicago lead to three points, Kyle Lowry's driving layup cut it back to a one-point game with 9.8 seconds remaining.
Jimmy Butler made one of two free-throws to make it 109-107.
DeRozan had a chance to tie the game, but was thwarted in his layup attempt and lost the ball out of bounds.
Mirotic finished with 17 points and five rebounds, and Chicago's E'Twaun Moore had 17 points and four rebounds.
Butler returned to the lineup for the Bulls after missing the previous three games with a knee injury. He had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes.
Lowry led the way for the Raptors with a game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. DeRozan added 27 points and five rebounds as the Raptors closed out a seven-game homestand at 5-2.
The Raptors lost center Jonas Valanciunas in the first quarter due to a left hand injury. X-rays were negative on the big Lithuanian, who had eight points, ending his double-digit scoring streak at a career-high 17 games.
Chicago outshot Toronto 49.6 percent to 44.6 percent from the field.
The Bulls took an 84-77 lead into the fourth quarter, nailing eight 3-pointers through three quarters. Chicago added just one 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
Chicago was up 58-52 at halftime as McDermott set the pace with 24 points. He shot 7-for-7 from the field, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and 7-for-8 on free throws. He wound up 9-for-11 from the floor, 4-for-5 from long range. He didn't attempt a second-half free throw.
NOTES: Bulls G Jimmy Butler scored 40 points in the second half of Chicago's 115-113 victory in Toronto on Jan. 3, setting a franchise record for most points in a half, topping Michael Jordan's 39-point mark set in 1989. ... The Bulls are one of five teams in the NBA this season that has not played a game with all its top roster players available. Charlotte, Philadelphia, Denver and Utah are the others. ... The Raptors are playing four games in five days this week, the only time they do that this season. ... Toronto G DeMar DeRozan had 38 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Saturday's overtime win over Miami, joining former Raptor Vince Carter as the only players in franchise history to reach those three statistical milestones in one game, according to Elias. Carter had 39 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 2001.