The Chicago Bulls won the play-in duel against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA with 109:105 (47:58) and can therefore still hope for the playoff entry.
The tenth of the main round in the Eastern Conference will compete on Friday (local time) at the Miami Heat. The winner of the duel meets the Milwaukee Bucks in the first playoff round of the North American professional basketball league.
The Bulls prevailed over the Raptors despite being 19 points behind in the third quarter. Zach LaVine was the key to success: LaVine scored 30 of his 39 points in the second half. “His performance was exceptional. He breathed life into us and gave us hope,” said Bulls head coach Billy Donovan in praise of his player.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder also kept their playoff chances thanks to an away win. The Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 (57-63). The visitors turned the game around in the third quarter, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 of his 31 points. In the final phase, the Thunder sealed victory on the free-throw line. Oklahoma City also has to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday (local time), the winner meets the Denver Nuggets in the first playoff round.
