Brandon Ingram put on a clinic at the United Center, dropping 31 points to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Chicago Bulls 110-101 on Thursday night. The win marked a successful return from the All-Star break for a Raptors squad that’s finding its rhythm at exactly the right time.
Ingram Takes Over When It Matters Most
The game came down to the wire, and that’s when Ingram really turned it on. After Anfernee Simons knocked down a three-pointer to cap a 7-0 Bulls run and cut Toronto’s lead to 103-101 with just over two minutes remaining, the tension inside United Center was palpable.
But Ingram wasn’t about to let this one slip away. With 1:18 left, Collin Murray-Boyles converted a crucial three-point play to push the lead back to five. Then, with 36 seconds on the clock, Ingram sealed it with a smooth 17-footer that made it 108-101. Game over.
Ingram didn’t just fill up the stat sheet with points—he grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists, showing the all-around game that makes him so dangerous. This is the kind of performance that reminds you why Toronto made the move to bring him in.
Balanced Attack Gets the Job Done
While Ingram led the charge, he had plenty of help. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and Ja’Kobe Walter each chipped in 14 points, and RJ Barrett added 13. This balanced scoring attack is becoming a trademark of this Raptors team—when one guy has an off night, someone else steps up.
The depth showed up when it counted. Walter, in particular, is starting to carve out a bigger role off the bench, and his 14 points came with three steals that disrupted Chicago’s flow. After the game, Raptors coach praised Walter’s growing confidence, noting that the team believes he’s ready for bigger challenges ahead.
Bulls Can’t Stop the Skid
For Chicago, this loss stings even more because it’s their seventh straight defeat. The Bulls were without head coach Billy Donovan, who was away following his father’s passing on Saturday. Assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. stepped in to guide the team, but Chicago just couldn’t find the firepower to keep pace.
Simons led the Bulls with 20 points in just his fifth game since arriving from Boston in a trade. He showed flashes of what he can bring to this team, especially late in the game when he tried to spark that comeback. Isaac Okoro added 16 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The return of Josh Giddey and Tre Jones from hamstring injuries was supposed to give Chicago a boost. Both played about 21 minutes, with Giddey contributing five points and five assists while Jones finished with 12 points and six assists. They’re getting their legs back under them, but the timing just wasn’t there yet.
Raptors Rolling at the Right Time
Toronto improved to 33-23 with the victory, notching its eighth win in 12 games. Sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, they’re starting to look like a team that could make some noise come playoff time.
The Raptors are playing with confidence on both ends of the floor. They forced 20 turnovers from Chicago while only coughing it up 14 times themselves. That’s the kind of disciplined basketball that wins in February and March.
What’s Next
The Raptors hit the road to face Milwaukee on Sunday, while the Bulls will look to snap their losing streak when they host Detroit on Saturday night. Chicago opens a seven-game homestand, which could be just what they need to turn things around—or it could get ugly fast if they can’t find a way to stop the bleeding.
For Toronto, the momentum is real. They’ve got the talent, the depth, and now the confidence. If they can keep this up, don’t be surprised if they’re playing deep into the spring.
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