NBA: Balanced scoring attack helps Raptors complete season sweep of Bulls

RJ Barrett scored 23 points while Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Ja'Kobe Walter each added 18 to lead the visiting Toronto Raptors to a 139-109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Toronto (39-29) shot 57.1% from the floor and cruised in the opener of a five-game road trip. Seven Raptors scored in double figures, with the team leading by as many as 38 points on their way to a third straight victory.

Jakob Poeltl and Sandro Mamukelashvili each contributed 17 points, while Immanuel Quickley finished with 10 points and seven assists. Poeltl grabbed eight rebounds and Barnes added seven as Toronto held a 43-36 edge on the glass.

For Chicago (28-41), Matas Buzelis led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds. Rob Dillingham scored 15 points, followed by Collin Sexton with 14, Leonard Miller with 13, and Jalen Smith with 10. Sexton returned after missing the past four games with a lower-leg injury.

Toronto swept the three-game season series against Chicago. The Raptors made 14 of 33 three-point attempts (42.4%), with Barrett matching Buzelis for the game-high with three treys.

Chicago’s Josh Giddey, who had five triple-doubles in seven games this March, was held to nine points, three assists, and no rebounds, marking a season-low in rebounds for him.

Toronto dominated from the start, scoring the first eight points and never looking back. Walter contributed five points during a 34-second stretch late in the first quarter to push the Raptors’ lead to 15. The Raptors scored 21 points in the opening quarter off second-chance opportunities and Bulls turnovers.

Chicago struggled with ball control, committing seven turnovers in the first quarter, 11 by halftime, and 19 for the game. The Bulls trailed 72-45 at the half, shooting just 38.5% while Toronto connected on 60% of its field-goal attempts.

Barrett led four Toronto players in double figures in the first half with 14 points. Buzelis paced Chicago with nine points. The Bulls have now lost three of their last four games.

—Field Level Media/Reuters