Raptors fans, everybody is feeling your pain right now. Having to play a long stretch of games without OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam is something you wish on nobody. As they are now set to face Chicago, they’re trying to end a long-losing skid while also staying in front of the Bulls in the standings.
This is slightly different than last year when the Raptors were able to win for a long stretch of the year despite injuries at several key positions. 10-day signee Henry Ellenson logged 18 impactful minutes against the Hornets on Saturday because there just weren’t many options. A season ago, they had more depth, and the guys out of the lineup were still able to be around the team.
Chicago has been up and down, the return of Lauri Markkanen giving them a nice lift over the last few games. The inconsistent play of Coby White has continued, leaving many to wonder if he has a future next to Zach LaVine with the Bulls. 16-20 is not bad at all for a team that has dealt with the injury bug all season. It could always be worse.
ODDS: The spread for Sunday night is set at Chicago -4. The over/under is 232 points.
Raptors Trying to End Funk
As good as Lowry and Norman Powell have been for the Raptors, the losses are still piling up. The depth of the team is really being tested right now. Given that Nick Nurse normally likes to keep his rotation tight, being down three starters is probably a nightmare for him. It’s been tough to watch them throw new lineups together every night.
The hope will be that for their game on Wednesday, FVV, Anunoby, and Siakam will be back, but for now, the guys in the building need to win. You can only make so many excuses for a loss. These guys are all NBA players for a reason, right? A few wins should have been able to be picked up by now.
Powell will have a lot of pressure today as he tries to match the scoring output of Zach LaVine to guide his team to a win.
Bulls Seek Win #17
It’s been an up-and-down year for the Bulls, from game one up through game 36. It’s hard to gauge so many team records because of constant lineup flux and also health and safety protocol. The Nets, who are near the top of the East, have only had Kevin Durant in the lineup once in the past six weeks.
Zach LaVine has been a beast all season long and found his way into the All-Star Game finally. And once he got there, he showed the entire world that he belonged. He’s a flashy player, that can also score from every inch of the court. He went from being “your favorite player’s favorite player” to your actual favorite player.
Raptors Stop the Funk
Finally, the Raptors have a chance for a victory. They’ll surprise the Bulls to end their drought as the climb back toward .500 begins.
FREE PLAY: TORONTO +4
OVER/UNDER: OVER 232
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