Anatomy of Raptors’ 11-game losing streak to Bulls

There are losing streaks and then there’s one team completely owning another. Unfortunately for the Toronto Raptors, the latter is the case when it comes to the Chicago Bulls.

The Raptors have dropped 11 straight games to the Windy City squad, dating back to the 2013-14 season. It’s kind of like an older brother dominating his younger sibling on the driveway over and over again. Then their mom calls them in for dinner. And when they go back outside, the same results occur.

With Toronto hosting the Bulls at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, it’s a good time to reflect on how one team has carried out such dominance over the other. Here’s a closer look at the losing streak:

Forget the streak. Who’s been the better team?

The last time the Raptors defeated Chicago was Dec. 31, 2013. Jonas Valanciunas was Toronto’s leading scorer with 15 points in the tightly contested 85-79 affair at the United Center.

Since that New Year’s Eve date the Raptors have gone 180-107 in the regular season, compared to the 161-125 mark put up by the Bulls. So it’s fair to say Toronto has been the better overall club during this span.

Different names, same result

It hasn’t just been Chicago’s superstars who’ve tormented the Raptors over the years. Jimmy Butler was the Bulls’ leading scorer in just three of the 11 contests, twice scoring 42 points. Meanwhile, former Bulls point guard Derrick Rose led his team just once, in a 29-point effort.

Other names who were top scorers against the Raptors during the skid include Pau Gasol, Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic and Carlos Boozer. Special mention goes to small forward Doug McDermott, who led the Bulls in points on three separate occasions against the Raptors, including a 20-point performance this past Feb. 14.

“We just have their number,” McDermott told media after the game. “It’s a good matchup for us. I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling against them.”

Thankfully for the Raptors, McDermott won’t be able to do that as a member of the Bulls — he was shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline.

Have Raptors even been close?

Yes, they certainly have been. This past January the Raptors dropped a 123-118 thriller to the Bulls in overtime. In addition, Toronto has lost by just two points in three of the 11 contests. A made free-throw here or there could have easily made the difference and halted the losing stretch.

Have Raptors shooters been stifled during the streak?

Somewhat. The most points Toronto’s put up during the skid was 118, in the aforementioned OT affair, and the least was 92, which the Raptors scored on two occasions.

Unsurprisingly, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have controlled the Raptors’ side of the boxscores in these games, but even their outputs have been mixed. At times they’ve been hot against the Bulls, combining for 63 points on Jan. 7 of this year and 60 points on March 14, 2016. But on other occasions, the dynamic duo’s been held close, like their 30 total points over a combined 67 minutes of floor time on Nov. 13, 2014.

Can Raptors finally end the skid Tuesday?

Their chances look as good as they can be. The Bulls have won just two of their past nine games and are without their No. 2 scorer, Dwyane Wade, who’s out for the season with a fractured elbow. He was averaging 18.6 points per game, so those are big shoes to fill.

The Raptors have looked good of late, winning two straight in decisive fashion against the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. Tuesday will also mark the first time recent acquisitions P.J. Tucker and Serge Ibaka will take on the Bulls as a members of the Raptors. Tucker is a renowned defender and Ibaka has averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 32.1 minutes since joining his new team.

The duo might just prove to be the tonic the Raptors need to defeat their Eastern Conference tormentor.

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