Veteran forward DeMar DeRozan returns for Bulls to save the day

DeMar DeRozan knows the nicknames.

“King of the Fourth,” “D-Money,” cute and all, but the Bulls veteran isn’t new to clutch time in an NBA game.

“I’m sure I’ve had some type of success, whether it was fourth quarter or late in the game, last four or five minutes of the game,” DeRozan said, when discussing his career.

DeRozan wasn’t wrong.

Back in Toronto he had big-shot moments, and then the past few seasons in San Antonio that trend continued.

But not like this.

Not like he’s displayed in his first 28 games as a Bull.

DeRozan entered the Lakers game on Sunday leading the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring with 7.7 points, and only added to that legend, scoring 19 in the final stanza to help the Bulls hold off the Lakers 115-110.

Not only did he do that damage late, but finished with 38 points, including going 16-of-17 from the free throw line.

“I just attribute it to my hard work, honestly,” DeRozan said of his assassin mentality late in games. “I kind of train and put my mind in the perspective of not early in the season to late in the season, I kind of go into games with that same mentality of understanding – I’m a big fan of boxing and I love watching a lot of guys figure out the fight early and kind of dominate later in the fight. They call it the championship rounds in boxing. I’m kind of big into that mentality late in games and understand that’s where it gets harder.

“So for me, figuring out ways to make it easier on myself and on my teammates, that’s the mentality I just approach it late in the game, and it’s been helpful for me and my teammates.”

A big reason why the Bulls are now 18-10.

“He was incredible,” coach Billy Donovan said of DeRozan’s latest performance. “Pretty amazing what he did, being out, missing games … his mental toughness, his heart, it was pretty amazing what he did.”

Considering the unknowns? Pretty amazing indeed.

The Lakers were undermanned, both by injury – no Anthony Davis (knee) – and the protocols, including being without head coach Frank Vogel. While the Bulls, who lost 10 players to the protocol the last few weeks and had two games postponed, were finally starting to get players back.

One being DeRozan.

So while there were some rough moments as expected, the two teams actually didn’t play a bad brand of basketball in that opening quarter. Turnovers were an issue for the Lakers, as they spit it up six times in that first quarter, but turnovers have been an issue for Los Angeles all season.

The Bulls struggled from three-point range (2-for-9), but shot 50% from the field in that opening stanza, and actually controlled the tempo with a 28-22 lead after one.

Both teams seemed to settle in, as the back and forth commenced.

If the first three quarters had the two teams trying to find a rhythm with a lot of new faces and lineups, the fourth quarter was about trading knockout punches.

Whether it was Coby White’s emphatic slam early in the quarter or DeRozan being that fourth-quarter monster, the entertainment factor jumped way up the scale.

So did the heart palpitations for the United Center crowd.

DeRozan hit a 20-footer with 52.6 seconds left to give the Bulls a one-point lead, and after a Russell Westbrook miss, DeRozan hit two clutch free throws with 15.6 seconds left.

Down three, the Lakers called timeout and got the ball to Carmelo Anthony for the long three attempt. He missed, as did Wayne Ellington off the offensive rebound.

Lonzo Ball grabbed the rebound, was fouled and iced the game with both free throws.

“Very impressive,” Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said of DeRozan’s outing. “It shows the type of player he is. DeMar is a helluva player. He really took over.”

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