TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard marked his return to Toronto with 23 points, while Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley scored 23 apiece as the Raptors overwhelmed the Chicago Bulls 135-92 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
RJ Barrett contributed 20 points and Ja’Kobe Walter added 10 for Toronto, which led from start to finish.
Leonard made 5 of 17 shots, including 2 of 6 from beyond the arc, but was perfect on 11 free-throw attempts. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year recorded four of Toronto’s 15 steals before leaving the game with 8:12 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Chicago’s 27 turnovers proved costly, fueling 35 Raptors points. Caleb Wilson, making his NBA debut, committed nine of the Bulls’ turnovers.
Toronto erupted for 43 points in the opening quarter, nearly matching Chicago’s 44-point total for the entire first half.
Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 17 points, while Wilson finished with 16. Norman Powell and Jaylin Smith each scored 15.
Wilson went 7 for 21 from the field and made just 1 of 8 attempts from 3-point range.
The Bulls struggled from long range, combining to shoot 4 for 36 from 3-point territory. Powell, who finished 2 of 6, was the only Chicago player to make multiple 3-pointers.
Leonard opened the game by sinking a 3-pointer, then missed his next eight shots before connecting on a pull-up jumper late in the second quarter.
San Antonio traded Leonard to Toronto before the 2018-19 season. He went on to help the Raptors capture the NBA championship that year before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Toronto reacquired Leonard in an offseason trade after a salary-cap circumvention scandal resulted in major sanctions against the Clippers.
Serge Ibaka, the former NBA star who played alongside Leonard on Toronto’s 2019 championship team, watched the game from a courtside seat across from the Raptors bench.
Up next
Bulls: Visit Milwaukee on Friday.
Raptors: Visit Washington on Friday.
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