TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in his return to Toronto, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley also had 23 apiece and the Raptors routed the Chicago Bulls 135-92 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
RJ Barrett added 20 points and Ja’Kobe Walter had 10 for the Raptors, who never trailed.
Leonard shot 5 for 17, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range, but went 11 for 11 at the free-throw line. The two-time NBA Defensive Player
of the Year had four of Toronto’s 15 steals before checking out with 8:12 remaining in the final quarter.
The Bulls committed 27 turnovers, leading to 35 points for the Raptors. Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson had nine turnovers in his NBA debut.
Toronto scored almost as many points in the first quarter (43) as the Bulls had in the opening half (44).
Matas Buzelis scored 17 points for the Bulls and Wilson had 16. Norman Powell and Jaylin Smith each added 15.
Wilson shot 7 for 21 and went 1 for 8 from long distance.
The Bulls combined to shoot 4 for 36 from 3-point range. Powell, who went 2 of 6, was the only Chicago player to make more than one.
Leonard connected for a 3 on his first shot, then missed his next eight attempts before hitting a pull-up jumper late in the second.
Leonard was traded from San Antonio to Toronto before the 2018-19 season. He helped the Raptors win the NBA championship that season before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Toronto reacquired Leonard in an offseason trade after a salary cap-circumvention scandal that led to massive sanctions against the Clippers.
Former NBA star Serge Ibaka, Leonard’s teammate on that 2019 Raptors championship team, watched from a courtside seat opposite the Toronto bench.
Bulls: At Milwaukee on Friday.
Raptors: At Washington on Friday.
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