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DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls.
THE Chicago Bulls survived the Indiana Pacers 132-129 on Wednesday, March 13, eliminating the fifth-ranked team and strengthening its ninth place ranking position.
But they had to overcome a double-digit deficit and a big game from the Pacers center. Myles Turner to do it. It helps that they sign up DeMar DeRozanwho stepped in in typical fashion to help put the game away.
DeRozan scored 27 of his season-high 46 points in the second half, including the bucket to send the game into overtime and the free throw that forced a desperation three-pointer from Indy.
“It’s like a survival mode that comes into play; in a playful way”, DeRozan told reporters after the game. “You enjoy these moments. For me, I just enjoy these moments. I’m not afraid to fail, I’m not afraid to try to make things happen. I want these moments more than anything. It always reminds me of my childhood, being a kid and doing the little fake countdown, jumping on the bed, pretending to shoot.
“As a competitor, those moments are always something I try to savor.”
DeRozan and Co. still needed the Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to launch his three-point attempt while trying to foul as time expired.
Still, it was a needed rebound for the Bulls and DeRozan. He was unable to make a significant impact in their defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on March 11, scoring 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting in just over 22 minutes of an eventual 35-point blowout loss.
DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls secure key victory in final stretch of regular season
The Bulls’ victory ended a two-game skid, giving them four wins in their last six games after stumbling to 2-3 coming out of the All-Star break.
This also pushed them to 2.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Falcons in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks lost to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday too. The rest of the field in the Play-In Tournament race is 5-5 in their last 10 games.
The Bulls are 6-4.
They can still catch the Pacers or Miami heatwho is currently on a four-game streak, for seventh or eighth place in the standings.
This would at least allow them to purchase an additional Play-In Tournament game. The Heat and Bulls have the third-simplest remaining rosters in the East, entering play on March 14. by Tankathon.
The Hawks have the third-toughest slate while the Pacers rank eighth.
All eyes on Coby White’s hip injury
The good vibes of DeRozan’s heroism were only dampened by Coby WhiteInjury that saw him hobble to the Bulls locker room with assistance in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
The head coach Billy Donovan would only confirm a hip injury for the breakout guard.
“It looks like his hip right now. I don’t have any more details than that.” Donovan told reporters after play. “I know when we get back to Chicago he’s going to have to get checked out. What it is, I’m not sure. Whether it’s x-rays, MRIs. They’re going to do some sort of [testing].
“It’s his hip, they [medical staff] believe. But they simply don’t know the extent of it. I think that’s what they want to understand; just what is actually happening.
“We’ll obviously keep our fingers crossed.”
Donovan suggested he didn’t think the injury was too serious. And White was in a good mood in the locker room. Still, the Bulls — and fans — are eagerly awaiting the final word on White in an already-trying Bulls and injury-plagued season.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. He has covered the NBA and NFL since 2016, including on FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He is based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck Learn more about Josh Buckhalter
