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A look at the Chicago Bulls' In-Season Tournament schedule
The NBA recently released the schedule of the games of the inaugural In-Season Tournament, with the Chicago Bulls set to take on the Brooklyn Nets, the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors, and the Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston Celtics in Group C. The Bulls need to end up with the best record in this group to advance to the knockout rounds, which begin on December 4th. Here’s a close look at how their schedule breaks down.
Opener against the Nets
The Bulls open their campaign with a match against the Nets on November 3rd. No longer the overpowering team it once was with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gone in separate trades last season, the Nets still present a tough challenge with young guns Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson now leading the way.
Up next on November 17th are the Magic—a team that finished the season with a 29-28 record after an ugly 5-20 start. The Bulls will face a familiar face in former draft pick Wendell Carter Jr., who the team sent away to acquire All-Star Nikola Vucevic. Whether he admits it or not, Carter always seems to get up for games against the Bulls. In eight games so far, he has averaged 19.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Raptors then Celtics
On November 24th, the Bulls will travel to Toronto for a matchup against the Raptors. This game holds significance for the Raptors, as they seek redemption after their defeat against the Bulls in the Play-in Tournament last season, with a close score of 109-105. Memorable moments from that game include DeMar DeRozan's spirited daughter, Diar, screaming every time a Bulls player took a free throw. The Raptors experienced their fair share of struggles from the line, missing half of their 36 attempts in that winner-take-all game.
The Bulls then go to Boston for a game against the Celtics on November 28th. The Celtics remain the cream of the crop in the East, especially after adding All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason to supplement the firepower brought by their All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
