Billy Donovan initially railed against his players’ defense in the first half as the Bulls allowed Wolves to gain momentum in attack without offering any resistance, despite Anthony Edwards being injured.
This is a bit of the story of the season for this Chicago team, which this time managed to compensate offensively, with a few decisive baskets from Nikola Vucevic (21 points) and above all a double explosion from Zach LaVine (39 points) and DeMar DeRozan (49 points). The two friends are the first Chicago duo to compile at least 39 points in the same game since… Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. It was against Indiana, in 1996!
“We had already been close” assures Zach LaVine. “Obviously, with a double overtime, we knew we were going to have to do it. Two guys who are in such a rhythm, it’s plague or cholera. D (DeMar DeRozan) was so hot in the first half. In the second half, we know what he can do in the fourth quarter. I was just trying to complement what he was doing. Once they started to double him up, I chose my positions to give him some time off the ball. It worked in the end. »
Back in the Top 10 in the East
The chemistry between DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine is still in the works. And it showed with that funny 8-second violation in the last minute. Two points behind, the two men will discuss the comeback of the ball in relation to the Wolves’ two-man fight… to the point of giving the ball back to Minnesota!
Fortunately for them, Mike Conley will miss the 3-pointer in stride and DeMar DeRozan will be able to register an ultra complicated basket in the paint, left hand against Rudy Gobert, to snatch the extension.
“It shows how dynamic and dominant we are when he and I find our rhythm”adds DeMar DeRozan on his duet with Zach LaVine. “You have to make a decision about what you want to do with one of us. If one of us catches fire, the other can too and score 10 or 15 points in a row, to have a big game and end up with 45 to 50 points. When the machine is running like that, it’s much easier to score, to play and to involve everyone. »
With his 49 points at 15/25 (17/18 in free throws), plus 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, DeMar DeRozan has thus achieved a superb performance, mainly at mid-distance, his garden for years. Enough to allow his Bulls to do the good job of the evening by recovering a place in the Top 10 in the East.
| DeMar DeRozan | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2009-10 | TOR | 77 | 22 | 49.8 | 25.0 | 76.3 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.6 |
| 2010-11 | TOR | 82 | 35 | 46.7 | 9.6 | 81.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 17.2 |
| 2011-12 | TOR | 63 | 35 | 42.2 | 26.1 | 81.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 16.7 |
| 2012-13 | TOR | 82 | 37 | 44.5 | 28.3 | 83.1 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 18.1 |
| 2013-14 | TOR | 79 | 38 | 42.9 | 30.5 | 82.4 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 22.7 |
| 2014-15 | TOR | 60 | 35 | 41.3 | 28.4 | 83.2 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 20.1 |
| 2015-16 | TOR | 78 | 36 | 44.6 | 33.8 | 85.0 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.5 |
| 2016-17 | TOR | 74 | 35 | 46.7 | 26.6 | 84.2 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 27.3 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 80 | 34 | 45.6 | 31.0 | 82.5 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.0 |
| 2018-19 | SAN | 77 | 35 | 48.1 | 15.6 | 83.0 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 21.2 |
| 2019-20 | SAN | 68 | 34 | 53.1 | 25.7 | 84.5 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
| 2020-21 | SAN | 61 | 34 | 49.5 | 25.7 | 88.0 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 21.6 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 76 | 36 | 50.4 | 35.2 | 87.7 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 27.9 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 62 | 36 | 50.9 | 33.7 | 86.7 | 0.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 25.1 |
| Total | 1019 | 34 | 46.8 | 29.1 | 83.9 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 21.0 | |
