Just when the Chicago Bulls need a big show, Demar DeRozan steps in. The veteran All-Star is having one of the best seasons of his career and is leading the team's resurgence.
DeRozan's latest masterpiece was a 50-point performance against the LA Clippers. He shot 17-26 from the field and made 14 of his 15 free throws, adding six assists and five rebounds to his stat line. His heroism helped lead Chicago to an overtime victory.
DeMar DeRozan throws it down 😤pic.twitter.com/YO1NCv94zJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 1, 2022
Although his MVP candidacy has faded, DeRozan is bowling for the Bulls this season. The team needs it in a packed playoff picture like this. Chicago is fifth in the Eastern Conference, but seeds one to six are separated by less than five games. After the win over LA, DeRozan admitted that running for the playoffs made his performance more important.
DeMar: "I just wanted to win this game badly. You see how tight the race is...every game is extremely important. No more room to drop any more games, that's just the mentality." pic.twitter.com/j5XbBr44D4
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 1, 2022
DeRozan has spent this season challenging Michael Jordan in the Bulls' history books. He is averaging a career-high 28.0 points per game with 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists. The player who was once considered a terrific off-season addition has firmly become one of the best over the years.
The Bulls, to many people, seem like one of the weaker teams in the playoffs. DeRozan has a long history of falling short after the season and Chicago has fought hard to beat the best teams around the league. Even if they land one of the top seeds, they have a very poor track record against good teams. Still, the season was a worthwhile move for the Bulls.