The Bulls opened Tiago Splitter's first season with a 135-92 loss in Toronto, down 20 after one quarter and never in front. Chicago is 0-1 and 13th in the East, with a back-to-back against Milwaukee and Washington next.
Gone after twelve. Toronto scored the first seven points, and Splitter burned a timeout with 10:41 left in the first. It didn't help. The Raptors led 43-23 after one, then ran 11-0 across the quarter break, going from 23-41 to 23-52 by 9:41 of the second. The game was over before the second quarter was three minutes old.
Rough night for Wilson. Caleb Wilson's first real game: 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting, three turnovers and a minus-24 in 12 first-half minutes, the worst mark on the roster. Grade: D. The fourth overall pick got the hard version of the league on night one. One game is not a verdict, but the turnovers need to come down.
Smith and Powell. Jalen Smith led Chicago with 15 points and eight boards, the only Bull who looked like he belonged. Grade: B-minus. Norman Powell had 11 on 2-of-8 and got by on free throws, 6-of-9. Grade: C. Powell got to the line, but on a night this ugly the shots had to fall.
The plus-minus. Tre Jones was the only Bull on the right side, plus-3 in nine first-half minutes with 3 points and four boards. At the other end, Josh Giddey was minus-22 in 10 minutes and Isaac Okoro minus-17 in nine. The guard paid $25.0 million to run this team got swallowed early.
Who hurt them. Immanuel Quickley did the damage early, 17 points on 5-of-7 with four threes in 13 first-half minutes. Scottie Barnes finished with 23 points, six boards and five assists. Kawhi Leonard shot 1-of-9 before the break, and Toronto still won the half going away.
Health board. Nic Claxton is still out, with an estimated return of Nov. 4. Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins are out with illness, both targeted for Oct. 24. Zach Collins, Leonard Miller, Okoro and Tobe Awaka are cleared. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Collins gives the Bulls size they badly need.
What it costs. At 0-1, Chicago is 13th, a game behind sixth-place Charlotte and level with 10th-place Orlando. With 81 games left, that won't last. The schedule will, though: four of the next five come against Milwaukee, Boston twice and New York. A team that ranked 22nd on defense last season just gave up 135.
Did the Bulls lose their season opener to the Raptors?
Yes. Toronto beat Chicago 135-92 on Oct. 21 after leading 43-23 at the end of the first quarter.
When will Nic Claxton make his Bulls debut?
Claxton is out with a hamstring issue and his estimated return is Nov. 4. That rules him out of the Milwaukee-Washington back-to-back.
