DeRozan extends scoring streak, pushes Bulls past OKC
After scoring 38 points Saturday, becoming the first Bulls player to post at least 35 points in five consecutive games since Michael Jordan in 1997, DeMar DeRozan talked about how he's managed to put together maybe his best season at age 32.
It was an interesting tale of learning from his experience and waiting for the right opportunity to unleash it.
"Yeah, it's just years," DeRozan said after the Bulls' 106-101 win over Oklahoma City. "My three years in San Antonio, I kind of took a back seat from scoring so much and opened up other parts of my game. But in the back of my mind, at heart, I was a scorer. That was my mentality first and foremost and I know that part of me was still in me.
"I always knew I had this in me and my confidence was always there. I think just putting everything into one, that's what you're seeing now."
And it's a good thing DeRozan has been at the top of his game. He carried the Bulls (36-21) to their third straight win on a night when they struggled against a team with one of the league's worst records.
It felt like the Bulls were expecting an easy game and didn't get one. The Thunder sent a message early by jumping to leads of 7-0 and 21-8. The Bulls didn't take their first lead until the 3:42 mark of the third quarter at 72-70.
The game finally started to turn in the Bulls' favor right around the time ex-Bears kicker Robbie Gould was shown on the video board and kicked one of Benny the Bull's trick-shot balls into the seats.
Gould ranks high on the Chicago popularity scale after booting the field goal for the San Francisco 49ers to knock the Packers out of the NFL playoffs. Oklahoma City missed 10 straight 3-pointers, which also helped the Bulls gain momentum.
Center Nikola Vucevic took advantage of the Thunder having no one to match up against him to pile up 31 points and 15 rebounds. Coby White hit 4 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 16 points.
While DeRozan accomplished a milestone, he seemed to give in to Lu Dort's defense in this game. After limited success, DeRozan started passing when Dort was on him, shooting when the Bulls were able to get defenders to switch with a screen.
DeRozan finished the night hitting 12 of 24 from the field, 14 of 16 from the foul line. He needed a late rally to increase his run to 12 out of 14 games shooting at least 50% from the field.
"He's tough," DeRozan said of OKC's Dort, who scored 31 points. "I've been a fan of his since he came in the league. The intensity that he plays with, you can tell he studies a lot of guys' tendencies. I watch him guard some of the best players in this league and give them fits.
"I was conscious of it. I've got nothing but respect for his game, what he does defensively is amazing. So for me, just understanding that, respecting what he does defensively, picking an choosing and trying to understand how I can be effective versus him."
The Bulls are 19-1 this season when they win the bench points, but that may not happen again for a while, since they're so short-handed. Donovan used 10 players, but got just 9 points off the bench, 6 by Malcolm Hill and 3 from Derrick Jones Jr., who returned from a broken finger.
After the game, Jones said his finger stung at times, but he feels like he's at full strength and plans to keep playing.
"I'm cool. It's not bothering me, so I'm good," Jones said.
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