The last game before the All-Star Break for the Chicago Bulls and second-year head coach Billy Donovan came on Feb. 16 at home at the United Center against the Sacramento Kings. And that meeting with the Kings saw the Bulls come out on top by the final score of 125-118. That gives the Bulls a record of 38-21 and a five-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break.
This record that sees the Bulls sitting at 17 games above .500 at the All-Star Break also puts them in the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Although, the Miami Heat do currently sit one game behind the Bulls in the standings in the East.
In that win over the Kings on the night of Feb. 16, the Bulls saw the now five-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan continue his scorching hot streak. DeRozan posted a game-high 38 points on an efficient 16-of-27 shooting from the field in this win over the Kings. That moves his streak of 35+ point games to seven heading into the All-Star Break.
De’Aaron Fox thinks highly of the Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan over the last 7 Games:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2022
- 45 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 60% FG
- 38 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 59% FG
- 36 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 68% FG
- 35 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 63% FG
- 38 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 50% FG
- 40 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 67% FG
- 38 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 59% FG
MVP numbers. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KLNDO5OZeb
This streak of seven straight games of at least 35 points also saw DeRozan make NBA history. DeRozan just became the first player in NBA history to score at least 35 points in seven or more games while shooting at least 50 percent from the field in each outing.
It happened. DeMar DeRozan is the first player in NBA history with 35+ points on 50% shooting in 7 straight games.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 17, 2022
38 PTS | 59 FG%
40 PTS | 67 FG%
38 PTS | 50 FG%
35 PTS | 64 FG%
36 PTS | 68 FG%
38 PTS | 59 FG%
45 PTS | 60 FG% pic.twitter.com/LjNqZAxnpB
It is also very well documented at this point that the Bulls’ all-time great shooting guard Michael Jordan never accomplished this feat.
But DeRozan’s performance in the Feb. 16 win over the Kings, in particular, caught the attention of one of Sacramento’s brightest stars in stud point guard De’Aaron Fox. Following this win for DeRozan and the Bulls over the Kings, Fox mentioned that he essentially thinks that DeRozan is “playing like the MVP” right now.
That came per a piece from Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee on Feb. 17.
DeRozan just put together a performance that helped the Bulls get back into first place in the standings in the East. And he was able to blow away one of the younger and more gifted point guards around the NBA in the process in Fox.
Fox had a pretty solid game himself against the Bulls with 33 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks. For a good while in this game, DeRozan and Fox were going back and forth for the Bulls and Kings, respectively.
DeRozan is really proving why he was named an All-Star starter for the third time in his career. And he’s also showing why he should be seriously considered as an MVP candidate down the stretch this season with his play of late.