DeMar DeRozan entered rarefied air Monday as he matched a scoring efficiency that had solely been recorded by one different participant in Chicago Bulls historical past: Michael Jordan.
DeRozan tallied 41 factors and 11 assists in a 133-129 additional time loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Before Monday’s sport, Jordan was the one Bulls participant to ever end a sport with greater than 40 factors and 10 assists.
The ultimate stat line mirrored DeRozan’s evolving position for the Bulls, who’ve relied on their veteran star to function a distributor extra this season than in earlier years. And DeRozan nonetheless delivered his vital scoring manufacturing, flattening the tying basket to ship the sport into additional time.
DeRozan’s new standing in Bulls historical past got here as a shock postgame. The 15-year league veteran is accustomed to setting and breaking data, however matching Jordan in Bulls historical past made a big impression.
“Anything with Michael Jordan in it is a hell of a compliment,” DeRozan mentioned. “He’s one of a kind. I never take none of that stuff for granted.”
Jordan recorded this feat 9 instances in his profession. The final time he tallied 40 or extra factors and 10 or extra assists in a sport was on Dec. 23, 1992, in a 107-98 win over the Washington Bullets. Jordan scored 57 factors and added 10 assists within the second-half comeback.
That sport was preceded by a bit of quintessential drama. Coach Phil Jackson wished the Bulls to take part in a pregame shootaround. Jordan refused and an argument ensued. The star went on to drop almost 60 factors, drawing all the eye in what was additionally the two hundredth win of Jackson’s profession as a coach.
But DeRozan’s historic efficiency nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to maintain the Bulls from snapping their four-game win streak with a loss in Milwaukee.
Here are 4 different takeaways from the sport.
1. Bulls’ 3-point taking pictures powers offense — however dries up in OT.
The Bulls scored 45 factors off 3-point taking pictures in regulation to maintain tempo with the Bucks — and the majority of that scoring got here from Coby White.
White prolonged his franchise record-setting streak of video games with three or extra 3-pointers to 11 consecutive video games, ending 6-for-10 from behind the arc in one other constantly explosive efficiency. But he didn’t take a 3-point shot between the 1:34 mark of the fourth quarter and the ultimate 4 seconds of additional time.
The Bulls have been 0-for-2 in additional time from behind the arc. The Bucks shook up their defensive method, switching each display in an try to shut off these photographs and drive the Bulls to assault within the paint. Even within the full court docket, the Bucks have been extra snug permitting the Bulls to go coast-to-coast for a 2-point play to eat up the clock than they have been giving up 3-point probabilities.
This was a profitable method. White’s sizzling hand cooled off to go scoreless in additional time whereas the whole Bulls roster struggled to regulate the ball across the rim, scoring solely 11 factors off three made area targets.
2. Patrick Williams and Bulls protection wrestle with huge problem of slowing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Attempting to close down Giannis Antetokounmpo is at all times a follow in futility. On Monday, Patrick Williams was as soon as once more tasked with the person task of guarding Antetokounmpo, though coach Billy Donovan made it clear that it might take a workforce method to deal with the star.
The begin was promising. Antetokounmpo took solely shot — and made just one basket — within the first half. Williams drew an early cost when the Bucks large man tried to bully his strategy to the rim down low. Through three quarters, Antetokounmpo had a quiet 12 factors, six of which got here from the penalty stripe.
But that modified, predictably, within the fourth quarter. With the Bulls making an attempt to finish a comeback, Antetokounmpo scored 15 factors off 5-for-7 taking pictures and compelled his strategy to the road six instances. He scored 20 of his ultimate 32 factors between the fourth quarter and additional time.
“There was a couple of times where we got a little bit spread out and then there was some driving gaps for him,” Donovan mentioned. “Patrick was trying to push his catches out because he was posting up on that elbow, trying to force him out a little bit further. There was a couple where I don’t even know if we could’ve gotten help there, he just ripped it so quickly and got into the paint.”
3. Dalen Terry takes on main fourth quarter shift in most significant minutes of the season.
After restricted enjoying time as a rookie and all through this 12 months, Dalen Terry noticed a few of the most significant minutes of his younger profession within the fourth quarter Monday.
Terry began the quarter and stayed on for almost 5 minutes because the Bulls lower down a five-point deficit to tie the sport. While his solely registered statistics throughout that interval are a missed 3-pointer and a foul, Terry confirmed vital off-ball enhancements along with his screening and defensive work.
The second-year guard performed 11 minutes in whole — tallying an help and a 3-pointer — as Donovan continues to offer his youthful gamers extra runtime to accommodate for damage absences.
4. Alex Caruso misses fourth sport with a brand new damage.
The Bulls began their fourth sport of the season with Alex Caruso, who was unavailable after struggling a left ankle damage Friday in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs. Caruso has already been working by a sprained toe on his left foot which sidelined him for 3 prior video games and has restricted his availability.
Caruso was listed as questionable Monday and tried to heat up earlier than the medical workforce declared him out for the sport. Donovan mentioned he didn’t count on this to be a long-term damage and hoped that Caruso may return this week.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com