TORONTO — Newcomer C.J. Miles got Toronto's bid to become a better 3-point shooting team off to a successful start as the Raptors beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls 117-101 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 15 rebounds, Miles scored 22 points in his Toronto debut, Norman Powell added 15 points, Delon Wright had 13, and Kyle Lowry 12.
Miles went 6 for 9 from 3-point range and had five rebounds. Half of the former Indiana Pacers player's points came in the second quarter during a 22-2 run by Toronto's second unit.
"I want to be able to be that spark," Miles said, "come in and communicate, bring energy."
DeMar DeRozan found a lot to like in his first game with Miles as a teammate.
"It's great to have him on our team doing it with us instead of against us," DeRozan said.
The Raptors, who intend to boost their 3-point shooting and move the ball more this season, were 13 of 29 from long range and had 26 assists on 39 baskets. Lowry had nine assists, and DeRozan and Wright each had five.
"I loved the way the ball moved," coach Dwane Casey. "We've got to play that way."
Playmaking proved an effective avenue for DeRozan on a night when he made just two of nine field goals and did not attempt a 3-pointer. DeRozan finished with 11 points, going 7 for 8 at the free throw line, and had six rebounds.
Chicago center Robin Lopez scored 18 points, rookie Lauri Markkanen had 17 points and eight rebounds in his NBA debut, and Justin Holiday scored 15.
"I thought Lauri was really good," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "For his first performance, coming out here on the road in a hostile environment, to go out and put up 17 and eight in his first NBA game is pretty impressive."
Hoiberg said forward Nikola Mirotic is doing OK but is still sore two days after suffering facial fractures and a concussion in a fight with teammate Bobby Portis during practice. Chicago suspended Portis for eight games following the altercation. Mirotic is expected to be out from four to six weeks.
With the Raptors up 25-23 after one quarter, Miles went 3 for 3 from 3-point range in Toronto's decisive second-quarter spurt.
"That was the key stretch of the game," Hoiberg said. "They got in the paint, spread out, his shots."
In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook had a triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks 105-84 in their first regular-season game with All-Star additions Paul George and Carmelo Anthony
Westbrook, the NBA MVP last season, when he averaged a triple-double, had with 21 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.
Paul George, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers, led the Thunder with 28 points. Anthony, who was traded from the Knicks to the Thunder right before training camp began, had 22 points against his former team.
Kristaps Porzingis had 31 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Enes Kanter, who joined the Knicks in the deal that sent Anthony to the Thunder, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. No other New York players scored in double figures.