DeRozan scores 40 as Bulls rally past Spurs, 120-109
CHICAGO — DeMar DeRozan scored 19 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory.
It was DeRozan’s seventh consecutive game with at least 30 points, extending his career high. The All-Star is the first player with such a streak for the Bulls since Michael Jordan during the 1996-97 season.
Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 16 rebounds for Chicago, which lost 131-122 at San Antonio on Jan. 28. Coby White made five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points.
The Bulls played without All-Star Zach LaVine, who missed his second straight game due to periodic soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Coach Billy Donovan said LaVine also will miss Wednesday night’s matchup with Sacramento.
San Antonio had won three of four. Lonnie Walker IV scored 21 points for the Spurs, and All-Star Dejounte Murray had 19 points and 11 assists.
San Antonio closed the third quarter with an 8-2 spurt for an 89-83 lead. Walker had nine points in the period, including a layup with 24.5 seconds left.
But DeRozan opened the fourth with a three-point play, and he poured it on from there. He scored 13 points in the first four minutes of the quarter. His layup with 7:20 left gave Chicago a 102-99 lead.
With the United Center crowd chanting “M-V-P! M-V-P!” DeRozan made two foul shots and then fed Vucevic for a fast-break layup that made it 114-108 with 1:53 remaining.
DeRozan finished with seven assists. He leads the NBA with 431 fourth-quarter points.
Trail Blazers 122, Bucks 107 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Anfernee Simons scored 31 points and the Portland Trail Blazers capitalized on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 122-107 on Monday night for their third straight victory.
Simons has averaged 30 points and has shot 18 of 39 from 3-point range during Portland’s winning streak.
Antetokounmpo didn’t play for the Bucks due to a sore left ankle. Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game he believes it’s a short-term issue.
Josh Hart scored 27 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 23 points and 16 rebounds as the Trail Blazers continued to thrive after reshaping their roster at the trade deadline. Portland outrebounded Milwaukee 58-43.
The two teams met just nine days after the Bucks’ 137-108 victory at
Phoenix, but much had changed with both squads since.
The Blazers traded C.J. McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to the New Orleans Pelicans last week for a package that was headlined by Hart. The Bucks sent Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento and moved Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a four-team trade that brought them veteran center Serge Ibaka.
Ibaka made his Bucks debut Monday and filled Antetokounmpo’s spot in the starting lineup. Ibaka had the Bucks’ first six points, but didn’t score again in his 31-minute outing, though he did have seven rebounds.
Jrue Holiday led the Bucks with 23 points. Bobby Portis and Jordan Nwora had 17 each. Khris Middleton was one assist from a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.