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Probable Starters:
| Bulls | Raptors |
| PG Kirk Hinrich | PG Kyle Lowry |
| SG Jimmy Butler | SG Demar Derozan |
| SF Mike Dunleavy | SF Terrence Ross |
| PF Pau Gasol | PF Amir Johnson |
| C Joakim Noah | C Jonas Valanciunas |
FEBRUARY 19, 2014 CHICAGO 94, TORONTO 92
D.J. Augustin scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter against his former team to help lead the Chicago Bulls to a 94-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors ... Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 20 points … DeMar DeRozan topped the Raptors with a game-high 32 points, Kyle Lowry added 16 points, but shot just 4-for-13 ... Chicago came out strong and led by 10 at the end of the first quarter ... Tensions were high between the teams early as Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and Lowry each picked up technical fouls in the first quarter ... Tempers flared early in the second quarter as Chicago’s Nazr Mohammed and Toronto’s Tyler Hansbrough got entangled and were each called for a technical foul ... Chicago would continue to add to its lead, pulling ahead by as many as 15 before the Raptors called a timeout midway through the second ... Coming out of the timeout, Toronto reeled off a 14-2 run before trailing 48-41 at the half ... Chicago led 70-62 after three quarters, and back-to-back three-pointers from Augustin to open the fourth put the Bulls up by 10 … The Bulls got stops when they needed them down the stretch and escaped with a victory after DeRozan’s 43-foot heave at the buzzer missed.
Game Notes:
- The Toronto Raptors continue a seven-game homestand (Nov. 7-21) by hosting the Chicago Bulls. The last time Toronto hosted a nationally televised game on TNT in the regular season was February 27, 2002 vs. Orlando. Toronto’s last TNT game was April 16, 2013 at Atlanta after an Indiana-Boston game was cancelled due to theBoston Marathon. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points against Atlanta in his only Thursday night TNT appearance.
- Toronto enters Thursday’s game leading the Eastern Conference for the first time since Nov. 12, 2004 and the first time without being tied. The Raptors 7-1 start is the best in franchise history, eclipsing a 4-1 start in 2004-05. Toronto has an opportunity to set a franchise record Thursday with its sixth straight home win to start a season. The Raptors are 5-0 at home matching the same record from the 2003-04 campaign. During the 2014 calendar year the Raptors are 26-7 (.818) at Air Canada Centre – one of the losses was a 94-92 decision vs. Chicago on Feb. 19.
- DeMar DeRozan needs four points to tie Andrea Bargnani (6,561) for third place on the Raptors’ all-time scoring list. DeRozan already passed Morris Peterson (6,498) for fourth on the team’s all-time points list Nov. 5 at Boston. DeRozan has averaged 16.8 points in 391 NBA games (379 starts) since being selected ninth overall by the Raptors in the 2009 NBA Draft. The top-5 scorers in franchise history all spent at least seven years with the Raptors and signed extensions with the team following their rookie contracts.
- Former Bulls draft pick James Johnson led the Raptors in an 11-point fourth quarter comeback Nov. 11 vs. Orlando with a season-high 10 rebounds. Johnson had five boards, four points, two assists, one steal and a block all in the fourth quarter against the Magic. Johnson leads the Raptors during the second half of games with a .667 field goal percentage (14-for-21), blocks (9) and ranks second in rebounds (20) and assists (13). Johnson was originally acquired from Chicago via trade Feb. 22, 2012 and re-signed with the Raptors in the summer following stops in Sacramento and Memphis.
- Toronto’s second unit of Lou Williams, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, James Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough have account for 40% of the team’s three-pointers made (27), rebounds (128), assists (59), steals (29) and blocks (16) this season. At least one member of the second unit has scored 10 or more points in each of the first eight games. Williams has reached double-figuring scoring in five straight games (Nov. 4-11). In the last three seasons, Toronto’s main second unit players have also started 265 games.
- Toronto is 6-0 this season when leading after three quarters. Dating back to the start of last season the Raptors are now 39-2 when ahead entering the fourth, including a perfect 24-0 at Air Canada Centre. Toronto has won 31 straight games when leading after three quarters.
- Head coach Dwane Casey has an opportunity to tie Lenny Wilkens (113) for second on the team’s all-time coaching victories list. In his fourth season with Toronto, Casey has a 112-126 (.470) record and is the longest tenured coach in the Atlantic division. Sam Mitchell holds the team record with 156 wins as Raptors head coach.
- Toronto currently leads the NBA in scoring with 107.0 points. It’s the first time the Raptors have scored 100+ points in eight straight games to open a season and tied for the second-longest streak of consecutive 100-point games in team history. The franchise record for consecutive games with 100+ points is 20, achieved Jan. 6-Feb. 20, 2010. Toronto has six players averaging 10+ points – DeRozan (21.9), Lowry (18.0), Ross (11.5), Williams (10.9), A.
Johnson (10.6) and Valanciunas (10.3).
Keys to the Game:
+ Get those Assists
+ Strong 1st Quarter
+ BIG game from our BIGS.
+ No Uncontested 3s. Rush that Line!
Key Match-Ups
vs. 
Can Butler shut Demar down? Can Demar bounce back after possibly his worst outing of the Year? Stay Tuned!
Lets Go Raptors!!
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