On Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Toronto Raptors to keep their playoff hopes alive, 109-105.
Chicago fell behind by 19-points before Zach LaVine erupted for 30 points in the second half.
But, without the defense and just overall effort from Alex Caruso, the Bulls would be headed home to Chicago for the offseason.
“I compete at a high level. This is kind of my time of year,” Caruso said. “This is why I play basketball in the NBA, for games late in the year where details and discipline matter. I just didn’t want to lose. When you have that edge, you tend to make plays.”
Caruso played 31 minutes in Wednesday’s win, finishing with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three blocks on 4-of-8 shooting on a team-high +8.
“We feed off those guys,” DeMar DeRozan said of Caruso and Patrick Beverley. “It’s contagious; amazing what they do. It’s amazing how much pride they take in being defenders. And with that us being the leaders of the team, we have to rally behind it. It’s amazing to see them lock up, make steals, big plays, sacrifice their bodies diving for the ball; it definitely gets us going.”
To get past the Miami Heat on Friday, the Bulls will need Caruso to ‘have that edge’ against the likes of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.
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Story originally appeared on Lonzo Wire
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