How To Watch Bulls at Raptors Play-In Game On Wednesday
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end, which means it is time for the Play-In Tournament and playoffs to begin!
On Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors will battle things out in Toronto in an elimination play-in game. The winner will advance to play the Miami Heat for the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference on Friday while the other team will pack their bags and throw in the towel for the season!
Finishing a single game ahead of the Bulls in the standings, the Raptors enter this game as a team with a lot of question marks. Their core group has never seemed to be healthy all season long and rumors continue to swirl regarding head coach Nick Nurse’s immediate future with the organization.
With a loss, everything the Raptors have built since their championship in 2019 may come crumbling down.
On the other side of things, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls continue to search for answers on how to get on the correct path to success.
They have been one of the better trios in the league once again this year, but the Bulls have lacked an overall supporting cast and questions about the future of their franchise will grow larger should they fail to make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
So much is on the line for both Toronto and Chicago, but only one team will be left standing when all is said and done on Wednesday night.
Here's how to watch Wednesday night’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Bulls vs. Raptors
WHO: Chicago Bulls (40-42) vs. Toronto Raptors (41-41)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: 9-seed vs. 10-seed Elimination Game
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 12
WHERE: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
TV: ESPN
Key Stats & Facts For Bulls vs. Raptors
- The Bulls and Raptors faced off three times during the regular season with the Raptors winning two of the three games by an average of 7.5 points in those two games. Chicago’s only win against Toronto was a 14-point home victory.
- The Raptors finished the regular season ranking 11th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating, while the Bulls finished the regular season ranking 24th in offensive rating and 5th in defensive rating.
- Toronto is 27-14 at home this season and Chicago is 18-23 on the road.
Last Matchup:
February 28, 2023 - Raptors 104, Bulls 98
Defeating the Bulls by six points at home in their final meeting of the regular season, the Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam with 20 points and eight rebounds. Gary Trent Jr. also supplied them with 19 points on 5-11 shooting from deep and five rebounds off-the-bench. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic combined for just 53 points on 54.1 percent shooting. Chicago turned the ball over 19 times in this game.
Latest Injury News:
Bulls Injuries: Lonzo Ball (knee) - Out, Justin Lewis (knee) - Out
Raptors Injuries: Otto Porter Jr. (foot) - Out
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED BULLS STARTERS:
- G Patrick Beverley, 6-1 guard: 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Zach LaVine, 6-5 guard: 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists
- F DeMar DeRozan, 6-6 forward: 24.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists
- F Patrick Williams, 6-7 forward: 10.2 points, 4.0 rebounds
- C Nikola Vucevic, 6-10 center: 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds
PROJECTED RAPTORS STARTERS:
- G Fred VanVleet, 6-4 guard: 19.3 points, 7.2 assists
- G/F OG Anunoby, 6-5 guard/forward: 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds
- F Scottie Barnes, 6-9 forward, 6-7 forward: 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists
- F Pascal Siakam, 6-9 forward: 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- C Jakob Poeltl, 6-10 center: 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Raptors are currently 4.5-point favorites over the Timberwolves as of Wednesday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 213.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Toronto Raptors are looking to make it back to the playoffs after losing in the first-round a season ago.
- The Chicago Bulls are looking to make it back to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first-time since 2015.
- Toronto is 33-19 this season when they score at least 110 points. Chicago is 35-19 this season when they score at least 110 points.
- The Raptors and Bulls have never met one another in the postseason.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
