WINDY CITY MAKES LATE PUSH, BUT FALLS 104-99 TO RAPTORS 905

[caption id="attachment_2605" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Photo by John Alexander/WCB Team Photographer[/caption]

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – The Windy City Bulls, presented by BMO Harris Bank, the NBA G League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, fell 104-99 to the Raptors 905 on Saturday night at Sears Centre Arena.

Antonio Blakeney paced the Bulls with a game-high 37 points and nine rebounds. Cristiano Felicio, on assignment from the Chicago Bulls, scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds for Windy City, while Kay Felder, also on assignment, added 11. Brandon Wood scored nine points off the bench.

The 905 led wire-to-wire after jumping out to an early 10-2 lead within the first four minutes of the contest. Bruno Caboclo jump-started the Raptors offense with 10 first quarter points including a personal 5-0 run. The 905 enjoyed a 16-point lead on two occasions, while the Bulls shot 33 percent and turned the ball over five times, leading to 13 Raptors points and a 31-16 deficit at the end of the first quarter.

Toronto’s balanced offensive attack featured six double-figure scorers lead by Aaron Best who poured in a team-high 16 points. Malcolm Miller tallied 14 points, while Kennedy Meeks registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Shevon Thompson and Bruno Caboclo pitched in with 12 points apiece.

The momentum swung further in the direction of the 905 as they extended the lead to begin the second quarter. Aided by a 16-1 run, the Raptors lead by 30 with 7:13 left to play in the first half. Several players contributed as seven different Raptors scored in the period. The Bulls, however, would respond in kind with a 22-10 run to trim the lead to 17, but couldn’t inch closer before halftime. The 905 extended its 15-point first quarter lead and led 61-42 at the intermission.

The third quarter was a deadlock as neither team pushed the game in their favor. The 905 led by at least 18, despite Blakeney scoring 12 points in the period. The Raptors led 88-69 heading into the final 12 minutes.

Windy City made things interesting in the fourth quarter despite trailing by 24. On the heels of an 18-4 run, the Bulls made it a 10-point game with a little over 90 seconds remaining. A dunk by Mychal Mulder cut the lead to eight, but Kaza Keane responded with a layup to push the lead the lead back to double figures. The Bulls scored seven of the final nine points, but it was too late as the 905 grabbed their sixth win of the season.

The Bulls are off until Wednesday when the Long Island Nets visit the Sears Centre. Currently, the Nets sit in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Fans can stay up-to-date on team news by following the team on Twitter (@WindyCityBulls) or visiting (WindyCityBulls.com). Full season membership, group, and single tickets for the 2017-18 Windy City Bulls season are on sale now. For all ticket information and full season schedule, visit WindyCityBulls.com.