DeMar DeRozan appears to be out to make a statement against the Chicago Bulls and continue his stretch of hot play on Monday. DeRozan entered the game with a nine-game stretch of 20-plus-point scoring nights, including strong outings against top-shelf defenders like Kawhi Leonard and Khris Middleton. Jimmy Butler, against whom he struggled last season, stood as a nice test for his hot streak.
The Raptors worked switches for DeRozan on their two opening possessions and he quickly had five points. By the end of the first half, he’d have seven on 3-of-5 shooting to go along with three rebounds and five (!!) assists. The assists and DeRozan’s decision to create for teammates against increased attention would stand out most, were it not for his emphatic transition dunk on a pass from Kyle Lowry late in the second quarter.
Have a look:
It’s not captured in this clip, but the play started when Lowry secured a(nother) very smart steal from a Jimmy Butler-Pau Gasol exchange.
BAM! pic.twitter.com/C26G5rUr9e
— Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) December 29, 2015
The Raptors lead 52-49 at the break. They’ve outscore Chicago by 12 points in DeRozan’s 17 minutes.
