TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors fought and scrapped their way to their first victory over the Chicago Bulls in years.
DeMar DeRozan led the way.
DeRozan had 42 points, and the Raptors snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Bulls by rallying for a wild 122-120 overtime win on Tuesday night.
“You don’t want to have something lingering like that and go a couple of seasons where you can’t beat a team,” DeRozan said. “When you’re a competitor, just to have that in the back of your mind, it sucks.”
DeRozan set a franchise record with 38 shot attempts, making 17, and also finished with eight assists. Cory Joseph had 19 points and Serge Ibaka scored 16 before he was ejected for his role in a memorable fight with Robin Lopez during the third quarter.
Jimmy Butler had 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Bulls, and Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 24. It was Chicago’s first loss to Toronto since Dec. 31, 2013.
Following a Butler triple with 3:58 remaining in the third, giving Chicago a 16-point lead, Lopez swatted the ball out of the hand of Ibaka. The two squared up in the middle of a crowd and Lopez swung and missed Ibaka, who returned in kind, barely connecting with the head of the center.
Lopez and Ibaka were ejected following a long review period. Chicago forward Nikola Mirotic and Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire received offsetting technical fouls after getting into a shoving match following the melee.
With Lopez throwing the first punch, Ibaka said he was simply trying to defend himself.
“I’m not just going to be out there and watch a man like him punch me and walk away,” he said after his fourth career ejection.