Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam put in a good shift on Wednesday night. It wasn’t enough to save the Toronto Raptors season.
Despite strong performances from both players, the Raptors fell to the Chicago Bulls 109-105 in the play-in tournament, blowing a 19-point lead and ending their 2022-23 campaign.
The Bulls, meanwhile, will face the Miami Heat on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
VanVleet nearly had a triple-double, going for 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists while hitting seven threes. Siakam was just as good, finishing with 32 points, nine boards and six assists.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
VANVLEET HALFCOURT BUZZER BEATER 🔥
Raptors up big at the half
NBA @NBA
PASCAL SIAKAM 🔨
1 point game with 17 seconds remaining ‼️
📺: Live on ESPN | #ATTPlayIn pic.twitter.com/Qj28uaeqVL
NBA @NBA
THIS GAME 🍿
100-100 with 3:08 to play.
📺: Live on ESPN | #ATTPlayIn pic.twitter.com/e8rRW7R9J9
NBA @NBA
Pascal Siakam is HEATING UP.
19 PTS on 8/11 FG 🔥
📺: Live on ESPN | #ATTPlayIn pic.twitter.com/YQ0WsHCQ0S
Siakam had the chance to tie the game with 12 seconds remaining at the charity stripe, trailing 107-104, but he missed two of three. Nikola Vučević sunk two in a row on the other end, and the Bulls moved on.
That sequence, along with Toronto’s 18 missed free throws on 36 attempts and Zach LaVine’s 39 points, was the difference.
So NBA Twitter wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the pair after the disappointing loss:
𝕿𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓❄️🇨🇦 @IcyScottieV2
Let’s be honest. Siakam played well. Scottie played well. AND we get a lotto pick. W.
Steph Noh @StephNoh
The fact that VanVleet can’t beat Vucevic on these switches is killing the Raptors.
Chris Walder @WalderSports
Fred VanVleet showing up to play in a potential Play-In loss is a tribute to Kyle Lowry.
Both players were instrumental in building Toronto’s big lead, but both will have to own some of the blame for giving it away. Siakam missed six free throws and had three turnovers; VanVleet missed three free throws and had three turnovers.
A reckoning in Toronto might be coming this offseason. VanVleet has a $22.8 million player he assuredly will decline, meaning he could be set to move on in free agency. The Raptors surely could get quality draft capital if they dangle players like Siakam and OG Anunoby on the trade market, opening up a rebuild around Scottie Barnes and other young players.
Or the team could try to acquire a more veteran star using some of their current assets and attempt another run at contention.
Either way, those decisions will start being debated immediately. VanVleet and Siakam would have hoped to delay those conversations further, but they came up short on Wednesday.
