Bulls vs. Raptors game preview and thread: another critical play-in rivalry game

Listen, those of you who have loser energy and want the Bulls to tank (somehow...I guess shutting down DeRozan and playing Dalen Terry?) their way into 10 more percentage points, it was never going to happen and certainly isn’t now that the Patrick Beverley era has begun.

Beverley has started the two games and the Bulls have had their best defensive performances of the season, continuing a trend since late December that is perplexing bordering on implausible.

Witchcraft opponent 3-point shooting will probably continue tonight. Because the Toronto Raptors are one of the poorest shooting teams in the league (27th in 3pt%).

But they are ahead of the Bulls in the standings, and similarly did not tank and instead bought (so they did something, which is different than our Bulls) in acquiring Jakob Poeltl, giving them a center who is taller than 6’9” for the first time all season.

The Raptors are 4-2 since getting Poeltl, but the Bulls are 2-0 since getting Beverley.

Injury Report

Big news for the Raptors as Fred VanVleet returns after missing the last 3 games. They look to be fully formed, though I highly doubt they can get just-reported signee Will Barton in by tonight.

For the Bulls, they are also fully formed as Goran Dragic’s knee injury was indeed fake and he just wanted out of town

Game Time: 6:30pm central, NBC Sports Chicago