After Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic completed a perfect pick-and-roll that allowed the big man to easily score 2 points, the Chicago Bulls looked up at the clock. They led 100-91 with 7:44 to play. The smells of a second straight double-digit win filled the United Center. But the Bulls quickly pushed them back.
The Chicago Bulls couldn’t go three games without a remarkable performance! That would be a disaster! How can they call this competitive!?
The Portland Trail Blazers went on a 9-0 run midway through the 4th quarter to tie it up 100-100. The Bulls were held scoreless for just over three minutes, leading to their 39th clutch performance of the season. Portland would eventually go up 105-102, but we all knew that wouldn’t last long. Like clockwork, DeMar DeRozan converted the way too easy and one to tie things up. Alex Caruso would make a free throw before Nikola Vuecvic used his fancy feet to outrun the Portland big and give the Bulls a three-point lead. Everyone on the court looked like they knew how to get their league-leading 24th win of the year.
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
To be clear, the Trail Blazers had a chance to force OT. After two free throws from both teams in the last seven seconds, Anfernee Simons found herself with the ball in her hands. One of the best high-volume shooters in the league, the Bulls couldn’t let him make a clean shot. Call out Alex Caruso! The Dark Lord of Defense timed his move perfectly. By the time Simons tried to get up to shoot, the ball was already out of his hands and rolling out of bounds. Add him to the All-Defensive First Team highlight reel.
“Up three with that much time left, you look like you’re going to foul,” Caruso said after the game (h/t Julia Poe for the video). “He fell on the half, I didn’t like the look on his face because he was square to the basket, it looked like he was ready to shoot. And then the instincts took over. Once I saw him shoot it, it’s a pretty routine game for me to be able to undress a guy as long as I’m at the right distance. Instincts kind of took over.
I think Caruso’s use of the term “instinct” says it all. While there’s no denying that a lot of work goes into becoming the elite player that Caruso is, there’s also something about the way he plays defense that can’t be taught. Whether it’s his timing or his creativity, Caruso has a special switch that’s flipped in his brain. And that leads perfectly to my post from yesterday! We talked more about Caruso’s gifts and shared a pretty crazy stat here…
DeMar DeRozan delivered another masterful performance. The veteran forward scored 9 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the game 10-17 on shots. He now has 2,527 minutes played, which continues to lead the league. The fact that he has improved in clutch and efficiency throughout the season despite this immense workload is truly remarkable. For DeRozan, however, this is what he trains for:
“You know, the crazy thing is, I learned a technique years ago when it comes to swimming and boxing to be able to stay focused even if you’re tired.” DeRozan told Bulls dot com. “Never panic when you are in the water. And never let yourself openly feel tired while boxing. These are two training methods outside of basketball that I take seriously every summer. I’ve been doing this for years. Very often, it is at the end of the match that I am able to control a large part of my efforts. I know how to channel it elsewhere and I think clearly.
I’m not ready to say that I to want the Chicago Bulls re-sign DeMar DeRozan. I still think that when you combine the high cost with the low ceiling of this current team, it’s probably not a wise decision in the long run. That said, if a new contract is signed, I will find some comfort knowing that DeRozan is a fantastic role model. I have to imagine his presence was essential to the growth of Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White. Not to mention I don’t think his clutch gene is going away anytime soon. Do these things fully justify paralyzing you into re-signing him? No, but it would make a new deal a little less painful.
Damien Lillard made a surprise appearance at the United Center last night. I can’t remember a time when I saw a player from a rival team spending his free time as a spectator, especially during the regular season. But hey, he knew lots of people on both benches! Lillard is also scheduled to appear on the latest episode of “Dinners With DeMar” later today, for what that’s worth. You can watch this on DeRozan YouTube Channel:
This might be the highest jump I’ve seen Vucevic lol
Speaking of jumping, Anthony Edwards gave us one of the best posters of the last decade against the Utah Jazz. Jalen Johnson then quickly followed up with his own jam against Austin Reaves on the very first play of the game. Check it out:
Reaves was asked about the poster dunk after the game, and you have to see the interaction…
