Watch: DeMar DeRozan shoots down Warriors with tough and-one
Klay Thompson sank a late three-pointer to take a late lead on the Bulls. DeMar DeRozan answered with three points, done his way.
DeRozan got Jonathan Kuminga in the air with one of his trademark shot fakes, then made an acrobatic shot once Kuminga committed the foul. When he completed the and-one, it gave the Bulls a two-point lead. That was crucial when Chris Paul nailed a three-pointer in the final seconds, which only brought the Warriors within one point.
Golden State rookie Brandon Podziemski also missed a layup late that would have tied the game.
DeRozan, however, is different. When it’s crunch time, he always seems to make his shots. He scored seven points in the final 44 seconds of the game, making both of his jumpers and all three of his free throws.
On Wednesday night in Utah, DeRozan had seven of his 17 fourth-quarter points in the final 1:40 in Chicago’s two-point lead, going 5-for-5 from the foul line. Monday in Sacramento, he scored 19 fourth-quarter points.
Clutch performance has been responsible for three tough road wins in the past week. Besides DeRozan, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic have each been among the very best in the league at plus/minus in clutch situations.
The Bulls may be lacking in depth and talent compared to other teams, but being this good in clutch situations is going to get them into the play-in tournament.
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