Bulls at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors look a lot like a championship contender of late and will try to push their winning streak to 11 in a row when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The defending-champion Raptors are doing what they're supposed to do with sub-.500 teams and polished off a two-game road trip by breezing past the Detroit Pistons 105-92 on Friday.
Friday's victory ensured that Toronto would finish January in the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference, sending head coach Nick Nurse and his staff to the All-Star game to coach Team Giannis in two weeks. "It's cool, man," Raptors guard Fred VanVleet told reporters of the coaching staff going to the All-Star game. "I think we've got a special bond with (the staff) - obviously we won a championship together - and it's a really cool experience." Not going to the All-Star game is Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who was one of the more notable snubs in the East. LaVine posted team highs of 22 points and eight assists on Friday but could not pull his team to a win as Chicago dropped to 0-2 on the three-game road trip with a 133-118 setback at Brooklyn.
TIME: 3 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Chicago, TSN 1/4
ABOUT THE BULLS (19-32): Chicago is trying to fight through a rash of injuries and added another to the list on Friday when starting point guard Kris Dunn hurt his right knee on the opening play of the game and did not return. "It sucks," LaVine told reporters of the injury to Dunn, who is headed back to Chicago for an MRI. "I always say the worst thing in sports is injuries. He plays through a lot. We already know his background, how tough-minded he is. It sucks seeing anybody get injured, but especially a good friend and someone who has been with me throughout the NBA so far. It sucks. We'll have his back though." Dunn is the defensive compliment to LaVine's offensive perimeter game and joins fellow starters Lauri Markkanen (pelvis), Otto Porter Jr. (foot) and Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) on the injured list.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (35-14): One of the players to make the All-Star team over LaVine was Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry, who was held to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting in 31 minutes on Friday and averaged 17.5 points on 38.2 percent shooting in January. Fellow All-Star Pascal Siakam carried the load with 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting on Friday and is averaging 26.2 points over the last five contests. Center Marc Gasol (hamstring) sat out Friday and is day-to-day but Serge Ibaka started in his place and delivered 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors SG Norman Powell (finger) left Friday's game and is day-to-day.
2. Bulls PF Thaddeus Young scored in double figures in each of the last five games while starting in place of Markkanen.
3. Toronto took the last 11 in the series, most recently a 93-92 triumph at Chicago on Dec. 9.