DeRozan’s clutch gene shines in buzz-beater vs. Pacers

In maybe the most exciting play of the season to date for the Chicago Bulls, star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan gave this team the walk-off win on the road over the division foe Indiana Pacers. In what was a really hard-fought game for interim head coach Chris Fleming and the Bulls on the road on New Year’s Eve, DeRozan gave this team what they needed in the end.

DeRozan hit a game-winning buzzer-beater to beat the Pacers by the final score of 108-106. And this was no easy buzzer-beater either. DeRozan was falling away in the final seconds of the game on a contested shot from beyond the arc to get this win.

There’s so much to say about this game for DeRozan and the Bulls. But it can be summed up pretty quickly too. Even in what was otherwise an off shooting night for the four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team selection, DeRozan came through in the clutch as he has very often this season for the Bulls.

Not only was this shot that DeRozan made one of the best moments of the season so far for the Bulls, but it was also one of the most impressive buzzer-beaters in the NBA all-around. DeRozan hit that vintage fading jump shot, but from a distance that he’s not accustomed to shooting from as much as he is from the mid-range.

DeMar DeRozan’s insane buzzer-beater gets the Chicago Bulls to top the Pacers on New Year’s Eve

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the fact that DeRozan still came up with a team-high 28 points on an afternoon where he shot just 8-of-24 from the field. That was largely thanks to his 11-of-12 shooting from the free-throw line and this buzzer-beater that helped to contribute some extra points for him.

DeRozan also contributed on the defensive end of the floor too. He came up with a game-high three steals on the afternoon.

We can’t go talking about this win over the Pacers on Dec. 31 without mentioning the solid play of third-year point guard Coby White. The former North Carolina Tar Heel is on fire for the Bulls of late. In this game, White came up with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.

White also registered two rebounds, four assists, three steals (tying DeRozan’s game-high), and one block. It’s clear that White was cooking in this game.

All in all, when the Bulls are getting contributions from stars like DeRozan and shooting guard Zach LaVine whilst White is playing the way he is of late, this team is going to be extremely difficult to beat. There is a lot to say about this game, but White and DeRozan were the driving forces to get this hard-fought win over the Pacers.

After notching this win over the Pacers by a slim two-point margin, the Bulls are now sitting on a six-game winning streak. To wrap up 2021, the Bulls are sporting a record of 23-10 and closing in on the Brooklyn Nets for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.