"The tanktastic Chicago Bulls almost got their front office sweating when they mounted a late comeback bid at home against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. The return of point guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones plus center/power forward Jalen Smith proved a bit rickety and led to some questionable lineup reconfigurations from fill-in head coach Wes Unseld Jr. most glaringly, new trade addition Jaden Ivey was a healthy scratch for... some reason."
"Playing in just 21:25 as he works his way back from a hamstring strain, Giddey had a rough shooting return. The 6-foot-7 Aussie didn't connect on his first (and only) field goal make until midway through the contest's fourth quarter and coughed up almost as many turnovers (four) as he dished out assists (five). Smith, who was instantly added to the starting lineup (like Giddey), shot just 2-of-6 from the field but grabbed 10 boards."
"Jones, at least, proved to look no worse for wear playing his first game in nearly a month after a left hamstring strain of his own. He scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting from the foul line, passed for six dimes (against zero picks) and blocked a shot, while notching a Bulls-best +8. Brandon Ingram Saves the Day for the Raptors The Raptors threatened to pull away throughout the second half, but Chicago would always find a way to reel Toronto back into the mud."
The Chicago Bulls mounted a late comeback at home against the Toronto Raptors but ultimately fell short as Toronto's size and talent closed out the game. Josh Giddey returned from a hamstring issue but struggled with shooting and turnovers in limited minutes. Jalen Smith started and contributed 10 rebounds despite poor shooting, while Tre Jones returned and produced efficient scoring, playmaking and a team-best +8. Wes Unseld Jr. experimented with lineups, notably leaving new addition Jaden Ivey out as a healthy scratch. Toronto displayed intermittent effort but finished strong, with Brandon Ingram helping seal the victory.
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