Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on TNT the Chicago Bulls (6-2) will head to Toronto to face the Raptors (7-1) in a heavyweight battle between two Eastern Conference squads expected to compete for a spot in the NBA Finals. Live stream the game free by clicking this link; Bulls fans can listen to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1000, while Raptors fans may do likewise on TSN 1050.
The Raptors are winners of five straight games, and are getting healthy contributions from everyone on the roster. Against the Magic on Tuesday the Raps rode a 21-point advantage from their bench over Orlando's to a victory, proving their depth.
"It was a test of our character and we got the win," backup guard Greivis Vasquez said. "It wasn't pretty, stars didn't play the way we wanted them to play, but we got the second unit playing the right way."
The Bulls have played well in the early going as well, with and without star guard Derrick Rose. The former MVP has come under fire for admitting he is reluctant to play hurt because he is thinking of his future. The Bulls have been able to cope in the past without him, but center Joakim Noah is adamant that he is a major difference-maker.
"Derrick's a (heck) of a player," Noah said. "To have your best player on the court, floor general, means a lot. When he's out on the court, he demands so much attention it opens up a lot of easy opportunities for everyone else."
Big man Pau Gasol agreed with Noah, and called Rose "a key player for us." This year in four games Rose has averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds.
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