CHICAGO, Ill. – DeMar DeRozan continued his historic season on Thursday, scoring 37 points and drilling the game-winning and-one with 15.1 seconds in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls sneak past the Atlanta Hawks 112-108
The Bulls started off the game with a 10-0 lead with DeRozan leading the way, scoring 16 of the 24 Chicago first-quarter points.
DeRozan ended the night with 37 points, marking the ninth consecutive game he has scored 30+ points. The last Bulls player to accomplish this feat was the legend Michael Jordan.
Despite being a one-man show, DeRozan had plenty of help as four starters, including him, ended with double-digit point totals. Zach LaVine (20), Nikola Vucevic, and the rookie Ayo Dosunmo finished with 12 points apiece.
With the Bulls trailing 108-107 with 23.8 remaining in the fourth quarter, it was pretty obvious that the ball would go into DeRozan’s hands, and he delivered a clutch and one bucket to seal the victory for the Bulls.
Hawks Disappointing Season Thus Far, Young Ice-Cold Night
After making a deep playoff run last year and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks have struggled in 2021-22, holding 10th seed in the Eastern Conference to this point in the season. In order to return to the playoffs, they will have to improve their defense; they have allowed 111.8 PPG this season, which is the No. 9 most in the league.
The Hawks shot poorly as Trae Young had just 14 points on 3 of 17 shooting. Bogdan Bogdanovic was the team’s leading scorer with 27 points off the bench, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for them to win.
It’ll be critical that Bogdanovic has similar performances like this moving forward as they continue without John Collins (foot), their second-leading scorer, for the time being.
Bulls Strong Season Continues, DeRozan Continues Historic Stretch
The Bulls are still atop the Eastern Conference, tied with the Miami Heat, primarily thanks to DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. The change of scenery, leaving San Antonio to sign with Chicago in the offseason, has been huge for the forward. He is averaging a career-high 28.1 PPG, with his teammate LaVine just behind him with 24.6 PPG. Both are amongst the top 15 scorers in the league.
DeRozan continues to make his case for the MVP, but if the Bulls really want to make a playoff push, they’ll need to get healthy. Acquiring Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball were part of their win-now moves made in the offseason, but maximizing their potential will be critical if the Bulls want to make a playoff push.
Ball’s timetable for his return off his meniscus surgery is still in question, and Alex Caruso will still miss time after a wrist injury he suffered back in January against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Up Next
Hawks – Host the Raptors on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET.
Bulls – Host the Grizzlies on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET
