DeMar DeRozan powers Bulls past Nets
DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates with Zach LaVine #8 H at Barclays Center on December 04, 2021 in New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP
DeMar DeRozan put together another impressive fourth quarter by scoring 13 of his 29 points in the final period as the Chicago Bulls earned a 111-107 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets Saturday night.
Zach LaVine led all scorers with 31 points but DeRozan willed the Bulls to their latest win. He made 6 of 11 shots in the fourth quarter and raised his league-leading total to 178 points in the fourth quarter.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combine for 60 PTS in the @chicagobulls win!@ZachLaVine 31 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST@DeMar_DeRozan 29 PTS, 6 REB pic.twitter.com/gK7Kl2KqcC
— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2021
The Bulls faced an 82-79 deficit into the fourth but never trailed again after rookie Ayo Dosunmu’s jumper gave them an 87-86 lead with 8:39 remaining. DeRozan pushed the lead to 92-86 with a fadeaway at the seven-minute mark and converted a three-point play for a 101-96 edge with 4:27 to go.
DeRozan scored his final points when he hit a 16-footer for a 103-100 lead with 2:54 remaining and then assisted on Lonzo Ball’s open 3-pointer with 17.5 seconds remaining for a 110-105 edge.
LONZO 🔥
The big bucket extends the @chicagobulls lead late on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG pic.twitter.com/C6fjFmwepy
— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2021
Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic added 11 points for the Bulls, who shot 47.7 percent and made 10 3-pointers.
Kevin Durant collected 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who took their second loss to the Bulls this season. LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points while James Harden totaled 14 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds as the Nets shot 41.4 percent and took 25 more shots than Chicago (111-86).
The Nets scored the game’s first nine points and held a 34-28 lead after the opening quarter.
Chicago forged a 42-42 tie on a 3-pointer by Vucevic with 6:51 left in the second and took its first lead at 47-46 on a layup by LaVine with 3:57 left. Chicago’s lead was short-lived as Durant sank three jumpers in the final 3:09 to give Brooklyn a 56-52 advantage by halftime.
A layup by Patty Mills staked Brooklyn to a 71-60 lead with 6:34 remaining in the third. Chicago was within 80-79 on LaVine’s 3-pointer with five seconds left but Paul Millsap’s layup at the buzzer gave Brooklyn an 82-79 lead entering the fourth.
