DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points for the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, leading them to a 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. His performance wasn’t just great but also history-making.
DeRozan not only scored a lot of points but was efficient, shooting 67% from the field. That performance mirrored his previous five games. DeRozan has now scored at least 35 points and shot 50% or better from the field in each of his last six games. No player in the history of the franchise — not even Michael Jordan — has ever done that.
DeMar DeRozan last 6 games:
40 PTS | 67 FG%
38 PTS | 50 FG%
35 PTS | 64 FG%
36 PTS | 68 FG%
38 PTS | 59 FG%
45 PTS | 60 FG%That’s the longest streak of 35-point games on 50% shooting in Bulls history. MJ never did it. pic.twitter.com/h5d4ovgS9B
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 15, 2022
But DeRozan didn’t just make Bulls history, he made (or tied) NBA history. DeRozan’s run of 35 or more points with 50% shooting or better has tied Wilt Chamberlain for the longest such streak in NBA history.
DeMar DeRozan tonight:
✅ 40 PTS
✅ 7 AST
✅ 16-24 FGDeRozan has scored at least 35 points while shooting 50% from the field in each of his last six games, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the longest such streak in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/bpsljDTxUD
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) February 15, 2022
Chamberlain (per ESPN Stats & Info) did it twice.
Digging a little deeper, DeRozan’s run is even more impressive. Chamberlain took many shots from close range. And since he was a lot bigger than essentially anyone guarding him, those shots were nearly impossible to defend. If Chamberlain got the ball low, it was hard to envision any scenario where he wouldn’t make the shot.
DeRozan is different. He doesn’t shoot a lot from long distance. During this six-game stretch, DeRozan has attempted only nine three-point shots. But he’s not taking so many of his shots near the hoop against physically overmatched opponents. Also, without relying much on the three-pointer, his string of six straight games with 35 or more points is all the more impressive.
Even better is that while DeRozan has had one game where he scored exactly 35 points and another where he shot 50% on the number, he’s vastly exceeded both totals more often than not. Over the last six games, DeRozan has averaged 38.7 points per game and shot 61% from the field.
How likely is DeRozan to break the record? Given that it’s never happened in 75 years of NBA history, it won’t be easy. But Chicago’s next game is on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. This season, Sacramento has allowed 114.8 points per game with opponents shooting 47.4 percent from the field. Those are the second and third worst totals in the NBA this season. It won’t be easy for DeRozan but it’s far from unlikely that we’ll see NBA history on Wednesday night.
