TORONTO _ For at least a half at a time, the Bulls have shown they can compete with some of the NBA's best teams. They have had several games against top teams in which they hang around for a few quarters, even entering halftime with a lead, only to watch it quickly evaporate.
Take Sunday's 129-102 loss to the Raptors for example.
Despite learning before the game that Kris Dunn (sprained MCL in his right knee) is the latest starter lost to injury, the Bulls opened the game with one of their best halves of the season, knocking down 11 of 24 3-pointers (45.8%) to enter the break with a three-point lead.
But the Bulls' hot hand from beyond the arc cooled in the third quarter as they shot 3 of 13 on 3s (23.1%) while the more talented Raptors took over to outscore the Bulls 35-22 in the quarter. Terrence Davis scored a season-high 31 points off the bench for the Raptors.
The Bulls will be pushed defensively without two pillars of their defense in Dunn and Wendell Carter Jr., who has not played since Jan. 6 because of a high ankle sprain. They yielded 262 points in back-to-back road losses to the Nets and Raptors this weekend.
Thaddeus Young scored 17 of his team-high 21 points in the first half and grabbed seven rebounds, but he fouled out early in the fourth quarter, including an uncharacteristic technical foul.
Zach LaVine finished with 18 points, snapping his career-best streak of 17 straight games with at least 20 points, the longest by any Bull except Michael Jordan.
