DeMar DeRozan Helps Bulls Survive Gutsy Win Against the Knicks

The Bulls and DeMar DeRozan blew the Knicks out of the water in the first half, scoring a season-high 69 points on 58.7 percent shooting from the field. Nikola Vucevic left off right where he started on Monday from his 30-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. Vucevic scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first quarter to help the Bulls to a 37-19 first-quarter lead. Zach LaVine and DeRozan combined for 21 in the second quarter to give the Bulls an 18-point lead going into halftime. Strong bench performances from Alex Caruso and Troy Brown Jr., who snuck into the rotation for the Bulls who were without Coby White and Lonzo Ball from three early fouls helped the Bulls tremendously. A first-quarter Taj Gibson ejection, 2-of-12 start from distance, and 12 first-half turnovers gave the Knicks a rough start to the game. They were kept to just 51 first-half points and 17 baskets, in comparison to the Bulls' 27 first-half buckets. The second half proved to be a different story. The Knicks opened up with a 25-7 run in the third quarter and won the quarter 32-20. The Bulls shot 34.8 percent from the field and LaVine and DeRozan combined for a measly three points. The Bulls went into the fourth quarter with a six-point lead on the Knicks.

Insert DeMar DeRozan 

DeRozan scored 18 of his 34 points of the game in the fourth quarter. He shot 6-of-7 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line in the last quarter to keep the Bulls in front. Only three players scored for the Bulls in the fourth quarter against the Knicks -- DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic. Kudos to Billy Donovan for putting the ball in the hands of the two most prominent fourth-quarter-scorers. Another reason Donovan was voted coach of the month for the Eastern Conference this month. DeRozan now totals 165 fourth-quarter points this season, which leads the NBA. LaVine slots a supportive third place in the NBA, totaling 143 points in the final quarter this season. DeRozan's fourth-quarter performance is a microcosm of his abilities as a player. As aforementioned many times of DeRozan, he is one of the most prominent fourth-quarter players in the league. Last year, DeRozan and LaVine tied for sixth place in the league for average points in the clutch (last five minutes of a game with a point differential of five points or less). The pair live for the fourth quarter and are largely the reason the Bulls are so successful late in games. The Bulls rank third in the league in fourth-quarter points, averaging 28 points per game in the final stand. Zach LaVine said this of DeRozan's closing ability after the game, according to NBC Sports K.C. Johnson, "I don't think a lot rattles him at all. That's when you let him take over the game, calm it down, get to the free-throw line, get to his sports. I think it just gives the whole team a deep breath. Like, we're OK."

The Bulls' fourth-quarter performances are a trademark of their success this season. With DeRozan taking the fourth-quarter-weight off of LaVine, the team is able to win down the stretch more frequently than years past.

Bulls are moving up

The Bulls now have the advantage on the Knicks this season, defeating them twice to the Knicks' lone win over Chicago. Chicago struggles with New York's larger lineup, which is slightly disheartening because the Knicks are now a .500 team after their loss to the Bulls. Nevertheless, the Bulls are now 15-8 and move up to second in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets, who are 15-6 on the season. Speak of the devil, the Bulls will take on the Nets on Saturday for their first meeting of the season -- a battle of two Eastern Conference titans.