Gameday: Bulls @ Raptors, November 24

It was on October 27, 2023, when the heart rates of Toronto Raptors fans skyrocketed and then collectively sunk when the Chicago Bulls eked out a narrow 104-103 overtime victory at the United Center.

It was only the second game of the regular season, yet the emotion exerted by Raptors supporters that evening could have lasted a lifetime. There were missed free throws, clutch buckets from both sides, and a dramatic ending which unfortunately didn’t go in the favor of the visiting party.

The Bulls and Raptors meet for the second of four matchups on November 24, only this time with NBA in-season tournament ramifications. That is, depending on how optimistic you are.

NBA In-Season Tournament Standings (East C)

Team	Wins	Losses	Differential	Point Total
Boston	2	0	+17	229
Brooklyn	2	1	+8	340
Orlando	2	1	+5	333
Chicago	0	2	-8	204
Toronto	0	2	-22	212

Positivity can only take you so far, because the numbers never lie. While not mathematically eliminated as of yet, the odds of either Chicago or Toronto advancing beyond the group stage at this point are slim to nil and slim has left the building.

Despite their respective chances being pretty much dead in the water, this matchup still counts towards the standings at the very least. In the case of the Bulls, a victory would be most welcome coming off five losses in their past six games, the last two of which have been by an average of 16 points. They’ve also mustered up the Association’s second-worst offense during that stretch, averaging a measly 105.2 points per 100 possessions.

From the outside looking in, it’s hard not to imagine Chicago’s front office having their trigger finger ready to detonate on this core at a moment’s notice. The DeMar DeRozan-Nikola Vucevic-Zach LaVine threesome has seemingly run its course, and with DeRozan set to enter unrestricted free agency, paired with the Bulls’ horrid start, it feels like it’s just a matter of time before the towel is thrown in for good.

The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off an impressive 132-131 victory on the road against the Indiana Pacers, their incredible No. 1-ranked offense, albeit paired with a dead-last defense. A 36-10-4 line courtesy of Pascal Siakam, aided by the surprising bench contributions of game chain recipient Malachi Flynn, helped improve the “vibes” surrounding a team that put forth an extremely flat performance against the Orlando Magic in a blowout loss the night prior.

Malachi FLHIIM

Open Gym: Moment presented by @Bell pic.twitter.com/HML2tDYRgB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 23, 2023

Looking back at recent results between these two sides dating back to February of last year paints the picture in Toronto’s favor on this occasion. The Raptors and Bulls have literally gone back and forth over their last seven meetings from January 26, 2022 until present day, with Chicago of course taking the last game.