Tag: DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan discusses Alex Caruso’s defensive intensity

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan recently praised Alex Caruso’s defense.

The Chicago Bulls have been a painfully average team for the past few seasons. After changing up their core in 2021, they made the playoffs in 2022, but they only managed to take one game off the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2023, they lost in the Play-In Tournament and missed the playoffs. And this season, they’re in danger of suffering the same fate.

Last year, the Bulls relied on their defense to help them find some success. This season, they haven’t had that. However, they still have some of the same elite defensive pieces in place. Most notably, Alex Caruso is still one of the league’s premier defenders.

DeMar DeRozan recently praised his defensive intensity. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)

“He really gets upset when guys score on him,” DeRozan said. “He’s one of those special guys when it comes to the defensive end of the ball that can do a little bit of everything.”

Caruso has a chance to be on another All-Defensive Team this year.

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DeMar DeRozan shows love to Javonte Green after Bulls win over Knicks

After Javonte Green’s monster game in the Chicago Bulls’ win over the New York Knicks, DeMar DeRozan gave him a bunch of credit.

As the Chicago Bulls look to end the season on a high note and maintain their place as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the Play-In Tournament, they earned a huge win over the New York Knicks on Friday night. They took down Jalen Brunson, who has been one of the best point guards in the league this year, largely thanks to Javonte Green.

Green, who the Bulls originally signed to a 10-day not long ago before converting his contract to a standard deal, played a giant role in the win over New York. He led the Bulls in scoring on the night.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan credited Green for everything he brings to the table. (H/t ESPN)

“The energy, the enthusiastic style of play he brings, the person he is off the court — he’s one of those guys you want to have on your team,” DeRozan said. “It’s been a tough year for him just trying to get healthy. For him to come out and be doing what he’s been doing since he came back, it’s amazing.”

Green ended the night with 25 points and 13 boards.

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DeMar DeRozan refuses to let up despite Bulls clinching Play-In

DeMar DeRozan said the Chicago Bulls shouldn’t slow down just because they’ve clinched a Play-In spot.

The Chicago Bulls took on the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in a game that was crucial to their potential seeding in the Play-In Tournament. The two teams are almost certainly going to face each other in the 9-10 game, but it’s still unknown who will have home-court when the regular season comes to a close.

However, despite the Bulls’ losing ground to the Hawks for the nine seed, they have clinched a spot in the Play-In Tournament, meaning there will officially be some semblance of postseason basketball for the Bulls this year. Now that they’re locked into that, should they take their foot off the gas a bit?

Not according to DeMar DeRozan. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

“I don’t believe that,” DeRozan said. “I just believe all in until it’s all said and done. You can’t baby it from here on out, especially me. I want to go all in, go all out, whatever the circumstances, whatever is called for.”

DeRozan is ready to go full throttle for the rest of the season.

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DeMar DeRozan discusses Bulls’ ability to perform in close games

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan recently spoke about the team’s success in close games.

The Chicago Bulls are all but locked into a place in the Play-In Tournament. Not only that, but they’re almost certainly going to be in the 9-10 game, and they’re almost certainly going to be playing the Atlanta Hawks. It’s unclear whether or not they’ll be the nine-seed with home-court advantage or not, but all they can do now is keep winning.

The Bulls’ hopes of making it through the Hawks rest on the shoulders of a one-game series, and their chances of getting through the Play-In are tough, as they’d likely have to beat one of Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler. However, if the Bulls get into a tight one, they’ll be comfortable.

DeMar DeRozan recently spoke about Chicago’s ability to show up in close games. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

‘‘That says a lot about our character, our will to keep going, not to quit, to bounce back when things aren’t going our way,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘That’s a lot of character.’’

DeRozan himself is a great closer, and Coby White has also stepped up in a big way down the stretch of games.

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DeMar DeRozan shares optimistic thoughts after Bulls loss to Hawks

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks, DeMar DeRozan provided an upbeat perspective.

The Chicago Bulls welcomed the Atlanta Hawks to town on Monday night for a game with major Play-In seeding implications. The two sides are battling it out for who will get home-court advantage in the 9-10 Play-In game. Unfortunately, Chicago wasn’t able to maintain their lead on Monday.

The Hawks walked out of the game with a 113-101 win over the Bulls, marking their fourth victory in five games. Vit Krejci poured in a career-high 18 points as the Hawks’ offensive shot a combined 19-of-40 from beyond the arc (47.5%). Meanwhile, the Bulls made just seven of the 28 three-pointers they attempted (25.0%). Those numbers alone led to a 36-point disparity.

Despite the loss, DeMar DeRozan provided a somewhat upbeat perspective after the game. (H/t ESPN)

“As bad as it feels now, I don’t think we played that bad,” DeRozan said.

DeRozan finished the game with 31 points, two rebounds, five assists, and two steals while shooting 10-of-23 from the field.

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DeMar DeRozan calls Bulls up-and-down play ‘frustrating’

DeMar DeRozan recently spoke about the Chicago Bulls’ inconsistent play.

The Chicago Bulls have been the definition of inconsistent this season. After a 5-14 start to the year, they turned things up a notch, fighting their way back up the Eastern Conference standings and into the race for the Play-In Tournament. Now, it’s looking certain that they’ll take on the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 games.

However, their inconsistencies have continued, as they just can’t manage to find any sort of footing in regard to their level of play. One night, they’re losing to the Washington Wizards. The next, they’re dominating the Indiana Pacers. Then, a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Then, a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

DeMar DeRozan recently discussed this up-and-down play, noting the team’s frustration. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)

“We love the drama,” DeRozan said. “It’s frustrating because we know our capabilities. We know we can beat anybody. So when we lose the games where — you know, I see it on Twitter, they go crazy on us, say we’re the most confusing team. That’s not us. We go out and perform like we did tonight, that’s who we are. It’s all about being consistent.”

The Bulls want to make noise in the postseason, but they’ll need to find a way to play consistently if they want to do that.

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DeMar DeRozan credits Alex Caruso for Bulls win over Timberwolves

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, DeMar DeRozan showed love to Alex Caruso.

Following their lackluster defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, the Chicago Bulls traveled west to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team jockeying for the top spot in the Western Conference. They were met with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, but Chicago managed to get the job done.

The Bulls earned a 109-101 win over the Timberwolves. While DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring with 27 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, it was Alex Caruso, in particular, who stepped up to the plate. He drained a career-high seven threes and played his usual elite defense, locking up Anthony Edwards.

After the game, DeRozan showed love to Caruso for his role in the win. (H/t ESPN)

“It’s amazing to have a teammate like that,” DeRozan said. “For him to carry us tonight, what he did on both ends of the floor, it’s just a sign of his greatness and the heart and mindset he had going into the game.”

Caruso finished the night with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals while shooting 7-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc.

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DeMar DeRozan trys to lift up Coby White amid post-injury struggles

Coby White has been struggling, but DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls are behind him.

In the Chicago Bulls’ overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on March 13, Coby White hit the deck hard after getting blocked by Pascal Siakam. He missed some time but returned to the lineup after dealing with a hip issue. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been the same since coming back to the Bulls lineup.

Since he’s been back after a three-game absence, White has averaged 16.4 points but is shooting just 34.6% from the field and 29.4% from behind the three-point line. As the Bulls get ready for the postseason, they’ll need him to be in top form, so the rest of the regular season needs to be spent trying to get back to normal.

DeMar DeRozan recently provided some words of encouragement for White, noting that the Bulls are sure he’ll be fine. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

“[White is] going to be fine,” DeRozan said. “It sucks, him going down with an injury. Stuff like that can knock your rhythm off. Playing through stuff, you got to get back comfortable, get the feeling back. It’s going to come, and it’s going to come when we need it the most, and we’re going to ride that wave.”

White is struggling, but he’s going to keep fighting, and the team is behind him.

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DeMar DeRozan says Bulls need to fight harder than ever down stretch

DeMar DeRozan wants to see the Chicago Bulls leave everything on the table down the stretch of the season.

The Chicago Bulls are in the race for home-court advantage in the Play-In Tournament. Well, home-court advantage in the first game. They are all but locked into a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 Play-In game, but either team could end the season with the ninth seed, giving them home-court advantage for the contest.

However, some recent struggles have seen the Bulls slide backward a bit. Combined with two big Hawks wins over the East-leading Boston Celtics, the Bulls are only a game ahead of Atlanta in the ninth seed now. If Chicago wants to keep their spot in ninth, they’ll need to give it their all down the stretch of the season.

DeMar DeRozan recently spoke about this mindset. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)

“We got eight left,” DeRozan said. “Can’t depend on nobody else. We’re going to have to continue to fight for our lives. That’s going to be even more exhausting. We have to show how much we want it.”

DeRozan wants to see his team fight harder than they ever have before.

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DeMar DeRozan discusses Bulls play after brutal loss to Nets

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the importance of playing hard for a full 48 minutes.

The Chicago Bulls’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night snapped a three-game skid. Unfortunately, they fell back into the put of defeat on Friday, as they lost to the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 125-108. Their lead over the Atlanta Hawks for the ninth seed and the top spot in the bottom Play-In Tournament game.

The Bulls got absolutely dominated from behind the three-point line. The Nets nailed 25 of their 44 three-point attempts, while the Bulls shot just 9-of-30 from beyond the arc. That means the Nets had a 48-point advantage on threes alone – a difficult hurdle for the Bulls to overcome.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the importance of the Bulls playing hard for full games. (H/t ESPN)

“We just talk about [playing] hard for 48 minutes,” DeRozan said. “More so than anything, competing a full game and not put ourselves in a hole to make things difficult for us. From my standpoint, I always stress that we got to be playing the right way [for] 48 minutes and playing together.”

If the Bulls want to maintain their spot in the Play-In, they’ll need to stay focused.

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