Bulls: DeMarvelous Comeback Against Clippers Shows Team Is Playoff-Ready
DeRozan's 50, Williams' Emergence at center of memorable night at United Center
Wacky, wild and cinematic, the Chicago Bulls’ comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night at the United Center provided a jolt of energy and focus needed for a team that seemed to be floating aimlessly through the remaining of its regular season.
Up three with seven seconds left in the fourth, the Clippers inexplicably provided an off-ball foul on an inbound, which gave the Bulls a free throw and the ball, setting the stage for a signature Bulls comeback win that ended 135-130 after an overtime period.
Amidst his 26th double-digit scoring fourth quarter (17 on Thursday night), DeMar DeRozan provided the last two points of regulation after drawing a foul on Paul George from beyond the 3-point line. The third free throw in the set could have ended the game then, but it refused to fall through the net. Never shy with his body language, DeRozan was visibly beside himself, but he wasn’t defeated, not by a long shot.
Making amends in the extra period, the would-be “King of OT” tacked on 10 more points on 3-of-4 shooting and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to complete the 36th 50-point game in Bulls history (the sixth not done by Michael Jordan) to seal this all-important, “prove it” victory against a relatively solid playoff team.
The Bulls would need a 32-point third quarter and a 36-point fourth to put themselves in a position to possibly overtake an 11-point deficit that existed with around five minutes left in regulation. With a home crowd around them just waiting for something to set them off, the Bulls ramped themselves up while displaying great collective resolve as they completed a season series sweep of the Clippers.
Chicago got an array of contributions across the stat sheet, most ostentatious was their dominance in the paint (70 points to L.A.’s 40). The Bulls’ Big Three all hit past 20 (Vucevic - 22, LaVine - 21) as well and Alex Caruso-led lineups flourished as he finished with a +15 efficiency, detailing how he continues to raise the bar on the floor defensively and on top of all that were two double-digit off the bench from the team’s youngest skill players Coby White (11) and Patrick Williams (10).
This game had five lead changes — the Bulls led once by two points in the first quarter prior to OT — and the teams were tied twice.
Nightly Notable: The Paw, Patrick Williams, scored 10 points on perfect shooting (4-for-4 from the field, 2-of-2 from deep) where he looked his most comfortable and showed what I feel was an appropriate balance in his shot profile. Williams spent a lot of time camping outside the 3-point line since returning, but last night he did more inside the arc and driving in the paint.
Williams’ double-double effort included 12 rebounds (3 offensive) as well as 2 deflections, 2 blocks and a steal.
The best thing about this performance is that its one P-Will could certainly sustain and replicate, which would be a very timely dynamic to surface for the Bulls and coming from the position where it is most needed.
Up Next: Former Bull Jimmy Butler and his scrappy bunch of Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat come to town next as the Bulls host Saturday night at the Madhouse on Madison at 7 p.m.
This is a measuring stick game for the Bulls, make no mistake about it. The 2-18 record they have against top four teams in either conference still looms (they're 0-3 against the Heat) and this is one of three chances upcoming to chip away at that record with Milwaukee and Boston lined up next while the Bulls keep staving off the play-in realm.
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