Leonard scores 23 as Raptors rout Bulls 135-92 in opener

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in his first regular-season game back with the Toronto Raptors as Toronto routed the Chicago Bulls 135-92 in its home opener Wednesday night.

Leonard added six rebounds and two assists as the Raptors (1-0) led by as many as 48 points, The Canadian Press reported. He was not sharp from the field, going 5 for 17, including 2 for 6 from three-point range, but the game was decided long before it mattered.

Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley also scored 23 points each. Barnes had six rebounds and five assists, and Quickley handed out seven assists. Jalen Smith and former Raptor Norman Powell led Chicago (0-1) with 15 points apiece, and Smith grabbed eight rebounds.

Toronto scored 43 points in the first quarter and led 43-23 after 12 minutes. The Raptors opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run, capped by a Jakob Poeltl free throw, and led by 29 points in the first half. According to The Canadian Press, Toronto topped 43 points in a single quarter only five times all of last season.

Chicago struggled at both ends. The Bulls shot 27 for 85 from the field and 4 for 36 from three-point range, and made 34 of 47 free throws.

Leonard was traded back to Toronto by the Los Angeles Clippers this past summer, more than seven years after he led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship. Head coach Darko Rajakovic had suggested before the game that Leonard would be on some kind of minutes limit as he builds his conditioning. With the result never in doubt, the starters sat for most of the fourth quarter and Leonard finished with 24 minutes on the floor.

The win made “raptors” and “bulls vs raptors” two of the most searched terms in Canada on Google over the past day, with more than 50,000 searches for the team alone.

Leonard’s return has been the dominant storyline of the Raptors’ off-season since Toronto sent two unprotected first-round picks to the Clippers to bring him back. The franchise is also under new ownership after Rogers took full control of MLSE, and former point guard Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 is set to be retired in 2027.

The Raptors visit the Washington Wizards on Friday, while the Bulls visit the Milwaukee Bucks the same night.

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Sources: The Canadian Press, NBA.com, Raptors HQ.