March 2022 in the NBA closes out in very fitting fashion, with another player scoring 50 points.
DeMar DeRozan dropped 50 on the Los Angeles Clippers in a 135-130 overtime victory for the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at the United Center. And it was a pretty wild comeback by the Bulls (who trailed by as many as 16 points), led of course by DeRozan.
The Clippers led by 11 points with under five minutes remaining in regulation and had a 97.3% win probability.
DeRozan scored five points in the final 9.3 seconds of regulation, with two of those points coming after being fouled by Paul George on a three-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Clippers implode with seconds left in the game. Paul George Fouls DeMar DeRozan on a 3-pointer. DeMar makes 2 to send it to OT. pic.twitter.com/ID0uajVBGf
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) April 1, 2022
In overtime, DeRozan — whose ultra-competitive self was likely even more motivated after missing one of those three free throws — scored 10 more points.
MONSTER DUNK FROM DEMAR!@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/RIadkxYbd7
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 1, 2022
How about this FIFTY PIECE pic.twitter.com/J0o9P8kzr6
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 1, 2022
DeMar: "I just wanted to win this game badly. You see how tight the race is…every game is extremely important. No more room to drop any more games, that's just the mentality." pic.twitter.com/j5XbBr44D4
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 1, 2022
DeMar DeRozan on missing last free throw in regulation: "It felt like a bomb went off inside my head. Just frustrated with myself." https://t.co/dwuvQJG125
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) April 1, 2022
The “King of the Fourth” has scored 604 points in the fourth quarter this season- 104 points more than the next-highest fourth-quarter scorer. Insane.
4Q scoring leaders in NBA this season
DeRozan 604
Giannis 500
Tatum 461
LeBron 430— Goff (@Jason1Goff) April 1, 2022
DeRozan becomes the 14th different NBA player to score at least 50 points this season, and the seventh of March. Those are both records (there have never been seven different players to score 50 points in any month).
DeRozan is the 14th different player with a 50-point game this season, the most in NBA history.
There have been 7 different players with a 50-point game this month, ALSO an NBA record for a calendar month. https://t.co/oty2HHFLlI
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 1, 2022
It’s the ninth time there’s been a 50-plus point game this March, after there were nine total such games from October through February.
DeRozan's 50 points is the 9th game in the NBA this March in which a player scored 50+
There were 9 combined October thru February
— Kevin Anderson (@Kevin_NBCS) April 1, 2022
Here’s more reaction to DeRozan’s performance:
50+ point games#Bulls history
30 Michael Jordan (8 more in playoffs)
2 Jimmy Butler
1 DeMar DeRozan (50 tonight)
1 Zach LaVine
1 Jamal Crawford
1 Chet WalkerBulls have never had multiple players from that list play in the same game together. Until now.
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) April 1, 2022
DeMar DeRozan tonight:
50 points
5 rebounds
6 assists
17 FGM
Team high +19 pic.twitter.com/hBN9T4CROX— BullsMuse (@bullsmuse) April 1, 2022
Full blown Michael Jeffrey DeRozan tonight
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) April 1, 2022
DeRozan also has scored 2,000 points for just the second time in his career. It’s the first 2,000-point season by a Bull since Derrick Rose’s MVP season in 2010-11. (h/t: @BullsPR) https://t.co/VEfHd5wUaJ
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 1, 2022
DeMar DeRozan just screamed "Way to hit that 3!" to interrupt Patrick Williams' press conference.
This postgame is quickly going off the rails.
It also included me not paying attention when Patrick Williams came to podium and I looked up and called him DeMar.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 1, 2022
