Bears News: DeRozan drops 46 points in overtime win over Pacers |
INDIANAPOLIS - Coming off what many feel is their worst loss of the season, the Chicago Bulls (32-34) were back in action Wednesday as they traveled east to take on the Indiana Pacers (37-30). One of the many teams the Bulls are chasing as they try to get out of the play-in round, the Pacers have struggled a bit lately, which leaves the door open and a crack for Chicago to move up.
The only way that can happen is by winning some of the games you need to win, and this was one of the games the Bulls had to have. In what was an incredible back-and-forth game that saw several players have big nights, Demar DeRozan stepped up and did what he did best. With all the talk about whether or not the Bulls should extend DeRozan or what kind of contract he will be able to garner in free agency. In a league dominated by young stars, DeRozan continues to prove that he is like a fine wine that gets better with age. His ability to consistently knock down the mid-range and come away with clutch shots will make him one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. Keep in mind, he is doing this all while logging the second-most minutes in the NBA behind his teammate Coby White. Things were no different on Wednesday as Mr. Clutch himself put the Bulls on his back when they needed him the most as he not only hit another fourth-quarter jumper to force overtime but then came away with more points in the extra frame as the Bulls found a way to respond and knocked off the Pacers 132-129. DeRozan was a man on a mission as he led all scorers with a season-high 46 points, logging nine rebounds and passing Elgin Baylor for 39th all-time on the NBA scoring list. Anytime you can get near 50 points from a single player, you will be in great shape, but it took far more than DeRozan for this team to come out on top. Ayo Dosunmu had another great game with 20 points, but after scoring nine points in the first quarter, the Pacers did a great job making adjustments on him. Fortunately for the Bulls, Alex Caruso picked the best time to have his best game of the season, adding 23 points and seven boards. Caruso is also responsible for giving the Bulls the momentum as his buzzer-beating triple to end the first half pulled Chicago within four after trailing by double digits earlier in the quarter. While those three were responsible for nearly 90 points, the Bulls had three more players in double figures, as this is the scoring balance they have been waiting for. You had Coby White battle through a slow start with 15, while Nikola Vucevic added 12 points and 12 boards. Torrey Craig also returned to the Bulls lineup and gave them a much-needed lift off the bench to finish with 10 points, as he will play a massive role in the next few weeks. You also have to monitor White's situation, as he took a hard fall during the second half of this game and left the game limping. Although he appears to be in good spirits, White will have an MRI on Thursday as it does appear he will miss some time, which would be a crushing blow for the Bulls. Despite being in the playoff picture most of the season, the Pacers are struggling and have picked the worst time to start playing poorly. Tyrese Haliburton continues to lead the way for the Pacers with 17 points and 17 assists, but he hasn't been the same player since the All-Star break, which is another reason why this team is starting to struggle. One player who can say he has done his part is Myles Turner, who had a game in this one. Turner was a matchup nightmare for the Bulls right from the jump as he led the Pacers with 27 points. Although he only had seven boards, he continued to display plenty of skill, which is why the Bulls tried to acquire him a few years ago. Joining Turner and Haliburton were a bevy of double-digit scorers, including Pascal Siakam. In what could go down as the best trade this season, Siakam has started to look like the Siakam of old with the Pacers, adding 17 points and nine boards. Indiana also saw Aaron Nesmith add 13 points to round out the starters, but their bench kept them in this game and nearly picked up the win. Anytime you get nearly 50 points from your bench, you will be in great shape, especially when three players account for most of those points. TJ McConnell led the bench with 16 points, and Jalen Smith added 15. You also saw Jarace Walker pick up 10 points, but it wasn't enough to take down the Bulls. Chicago will look to make it two in a row Thursday as they play host to the Los Angeles Clippers for the second leg of their back-to-back.
