Social media reacts to DeRozan’s 41-point game in win over Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
He did not shoot 6-of-25 again.
After a dismal shooting performance in Game 1, DeMar DeRozan lifted the Chicago Bulls to a pivotal 114-110 Game 2 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. He dropped a playoff career-high 41 points on 16-of-31 shooting to send the series back to Chicago tied at 1-1.
Chicago used a 34-21 advantage in the second quarter to seize a double-digit lead against the defending champions, and though Milwaukee kept making runs to cut into the deficit, DeRozan and company responded with big shot over big shot.
DeRozan delivered the dagger with a tough layup over Giannis Antetokounmpo with 18.2 seconds remaining.
After the final buzzer sounded, NBA Twitter gave DeRozan his flowers for the big-time performance:
From @ESPNStatsInfo: DeMar DeRozan went 8 for 9 with 16 points with Giannis as his primary defender.
Iâve never seen anyone do anything like that
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 21, 2022
I can’t begin to describe how cold-blooded it was for DeMar DeRozan to nail those two consecutive midrange jumpers over Giannis. Dear lord.
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) April 21, 2022
Along with DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic dropped 24 points while Zach LaVine added 20. Patrick Williams came up big on the margins with 10 points and nine rebounds while Alex Caruso’s defense shined again with a nine-point, 10-assist, two-steal and two-block outing.
Game 3 will be in Chicago on Friday, April 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET. With Khris Middleton now dealing with a sprained MCL, the door is wide open for the Bulls.