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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michael Mulford

Player grades: LaVine, Bulls outlast Raptors to survive play-in

The Chicago Bulls’ playoff hopes are still alive.

On Wednesday night, the Bulls survived a 19-point deficit to comeback and shock the Toronto Raptors on their home floor, 109-105, to move on in the play-in tournament.

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The Bulls were down 68-50 before Zach LaVine caught fire in the third, cutting Toronto’s lead down to just nine heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, LaVine continued his hot streak as Chicago was able to lock in on defense with help from Toronto’s free throw struggles, shooting just 18-of-36, to steal the win from the Raptors.

Zach LaVine led the way with a game-high 39 points on 12-of-22 shooting and hitting 13-of-15 free throws.

The Bulls will now travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday to decide who will claim the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Check out the player grades from Chicago’s play-in victory below.

DeMar DeRozan: B+

DeMar DeRozan finished Wednesday’s play-in victory against the Raptors with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor.

Zach LaVine: A+

Zach LaVine almost single-handedly won this game for the Bulls as he kept them alive and cut into the Raptors’ lead, scoring 30 points in the second-half. LaVine finished with a game-high 39 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal on 12-of-22 shooting from the field while knocking down 13-of-15 free throws.

Nikola Vucevic: B

Nikola Vucevic finished Wednesday’s play-in victory with 14 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block on 6-of-14 shooting from the field in 39 minutes.

Patrick Williams: B

Patrick Williams played 25 minutes off the bench for Billy Donovan against Toronto, finishing with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Alex Caruso: A

Alex Caruso did it all on Wednesday as his endless effort and activity on the defensive end paid dividends for the Bulls comeback victory. Caruso finished with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three blocks on 4-of-8 shooting on a team-high +8.

Coby White: B

In 25 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s victory, Coby White finished with nine points, five assists, and one steal on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the floor.

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