DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine stepped up big time for the Chicago Bulls as they edged a feisty Minnesota Timberwolves squad in double overtime on Friday. In fact, the duo even made a history by surpassing a franchise record set by Michael Jordan and Horace Grant.
DeRozan and LaVine combined for 88 points to power the Bulls to the 139-131 victory. DeRozan exploded for 49 points on 15-of-25 shooting, while LaVine had the same shooting clip as he finished with 39.
Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert went over 20 points each for the Timberwolves as they put up a valiant fight following the injury to Anthony Edwards, but their balanced efforts were not enough to counter the DeRozan-Lavine duo.
With their epic showing, DeRozan and LaVine set a new Bulls record for most points by a duo in team history. They surpassed the mark that Jordan and Grant accomplished 33 years ago when they combined for 85 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 28, 1990, per NBA History.
To be fair to the Jordan-Grant duo, their game only lasted one overtime. Furthermore, it’s not much of a one-two combo, with His Airness accounting for 69 points in the game.
Record aside, though, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine will definitely be happy with the win. After all, it improved their chances of qualifying for the Play-In tournament. The Bulls improved to 10th in the Eastern Conference with a32-37 record.
Here’s to hoping that DeRozan and LaVine maintain the momentum they have as they try to string more wins for Chicago.
Source: clutchpoints.com
