NEWSLETTER
Thanks to literal history made by DeMar DeRozan, the Chicago Bulls find themselves with their first seven-game winning streak since the 2017-18 season.
How the heck did that 27-55 squad led by Fred Hoibeg and absent of Zach LaVine rattle off seven in a row? I have absolutely no clue. All I do know is that I want this much-improved Bulls team to surpass that group with an 8th-consecutive win tomorrow night.
Has anyone ever hit three buzzer-beaters in a row???
????? ??I’m not sure how much is too much when it comes to talking about DeMar DeRozan, but I’m making the executive decision that we have yet to reach that point.
???I Don???t Know If I???m Dreaming:??? DeMar DeRozan Reflects On Historic Back-to-Back Buzzer-Beatershttps://t.co/2BJTGcmu1n pic.twitter.com/tnaaglakgl
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 2, 2022
????? ??When is the last time the Bulls had a player that felt this feared? Sure, I have to imagine opposing teams and fans worry about the explosive scoring ability of Zach LaVine, but I think DeRozan’s 4th-quarter dominance has made him one of the scariest players to face in the NBA this season. Perhaps that is a biased take, but I can at least point to this video as some form of evidence!
This was my angle of DeMar DeRozan's game winner. One of my best games witnessed in Capital One Arena. pic.twitter.com/PonPZ6mEbZ
— wizzy (@youngwizzyDFS) January 2, 2022
????? ??To be honest, I’ve probably watched this clip of the final shot more than the broadcast footage. Hearing Wizards fans scream in terror the moment DeRozan gets his mitts on the ball is as hilarious as it is refreshing. Bulls fans have been the ones watching through their fingers and holding back expletives for years on end, so to see them now provoking that reaction is quite the relief.
????? ??Speaking of awesome alternate angles, the Chicago Bulls shared this court view of the DeRozan buzzer-beater and celebration. I don’t have a VR headset, but if the Bulls could turn this into a VR experience, I’d drive to Best Buy immediately.
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1477678183369654281?s=20
????? ??Chris Paul, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Fred VanVleet … the whole league has been put on notice.
DeMar had everyone talking. pic.twitter.com/8WQogGGMEs
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 2, 2022
????? ??Zach LaVine said what we’re all thinking.
"I thank God we got DeMar DeRozan on our team."@ZachLaVine on his teammate's second-straight #TissotBuzzerBeater. pic.twitter.com/2Rdlfy9hjR
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2022
????? ??DeRozan has stolen every single headline over these past two games ??? and for much of the season ??? but Zach LaVine has been just as important as the veteran when it comes to pushing the Bulls into the top seed. Since the start of December, LaVine has averaged 28.5 points behind 52.6 percent shooting from the field and 49.4 percent clip from downtown. He has scored 30+ points in six of the last 10 games, and he’s also dished at least 5 assists in seven of the last 10. DeRozan doesn’t even end up in a position to play hero last night if LaVine doesn’t drop his 35 points on seven 3-pointers (tied for the season-high). So, yes, DeRozan deserves all the praise he’s received, but LaVine has quietly crept his way into the All-NBA First-Team/MVP discussion as well.
????? ??I have plenty of memories of LaVine cooking the Wizards, so I went to check just how well he’s done against the franchise in his career. To little surprise, it turns out he has averaged the 3rd-most points against any team in his career when battling Washington (24.7), shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from behind the arc in 15 games.
????? ??The Bulls’ win streak has also been brought to you by Coby White. I know I keep giving him a round of applause in bullets, but he keeps deserving one. After starting the year in a wicked funk, White has averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.3 steals over the past three contests. Even more important, he has shot 51.3 percent from the field and has looked far more confident letting it fly from downtown. The question now is whether or not this will be the White we see once Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball re-enter the rotation. Chicago needs White to bring this level of shotmaking and offensive playmaking to a bench that lacks strong offensive options, but will it become harder for the third-year guard to do when he isn’t playing off defense distractors like LaVine and Vucevic?
????? ??So many smiles. *shed happy tear*??
THIS TEAM. pic.twitter.com/WH43B4Aa1t
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 2, 2022
????? ??Some former Bulls have found a new home.
The Milwaukee Bucks plan to sign center Luke Kornet on a 10-day hardship deal, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Kornet recently finished a 10-day with the Cavaliers.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2022
The New York Knicks are planning to sign guard Ryan Arcidiacono to a 10-day contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. There's strong possibility for Arcidiacono to stick for the season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2022
