Charles Barkley dissing Bulls-Raptors on TNT slate sparks meme fest on NBA Twitter

NBA legend Charles Barkley's lack of excitement for Bulls vs. Raptors game leads to hilarious fan reactions on social media.

NBA icon and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley didn't seem too thrilled about the first game of Thursday night's TNT doubleheader, which featured the Chicago Bulls taking on the Toronto Raptors. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, Barkley attempted to promote the matchup, eliciting some entertaining reactions from NBA fans on social media.

Both the Bulls (20-23) and the Raptors (16-26) are currently outside of the Eastern Conference's top eight seeds, making them potential play-in teams at best. Many were surprised to see these sub-.500 teams featured in a primetime national television slot.

Barkley, with a lackluster tone, encouraged fans to watch the matchup, which led to humorous reactions from NBA fans. While some concurred with Barkley's lack of enthusiasm, a few Raptors and Bulls fans defended their teams, pointing to their championship victories.

Despite Barkley's apparent lack of interest, the game turned out to be an entertaining and close contest, with the Bulls ultimately pulling away for a 116-110 road victory. The star trio of DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic combined for 71 points for the Bulls, while Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes put forth a game-high 31-point performance.

Despite the exciting game, it appeared that the lack of stakes involved prevented the TNT crew from getting too into the game. Barkley and his colleagues offered very little halftime analysis and continued to crack jokes about Chicago postgame, despite the team's victory.

Looking ahead, the Bulls will aim to win their second straight game when they host the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Raptors will try to bounce back on the road against the New York Knicks.

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