The Maui News - Weekender

DeRozan scores 49, Bulls beat Wolves in 2OT

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CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 49 points, Zach LaVine finished with 39 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Minnesota Timberwolv­es 139-131 in double overtime on Friday night.

DeRozan and LaVine joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only Bulls duo with 39 points or more in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The two Hall of Famers did it against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 18, 1996, with Jordan going for 44 and Pippen finishing with 40.

“When we’ve got it rolling like that, it makes everything so much easier not even just to score, just to get everybody else involved,” said DeRozan, who had some trouble seeing after getting hit in the eye.

Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards left with a sprained right ankle in the first quarter, and the Timberwolv­es lost for the fourth time in five games.

Mike Conley led Minnesota with 28 points, nailing a career-high 8 of 12 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert finished with 21 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out in the first OT, and Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points.

The Bulls led 130-125 in the second OT before Conley hit a 3-pointer. Minnesota’s Naz Reid had a layup rim out, and DeRozan made a turnaround jumper to bump Chicago’s lead to 132-28 with 1:27 remaining.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker made the second free throw after an airball to pull the

Timberwolv­es within three, but Vucevic brought the Bulls bench to its feet with a thunderous one-handed dunk for a three-point play with just over a minute left.

Reid drove for a layup to make it a four-point game. But DeRozan made four free throws in the final 36 seconds to help Chicago come away with a wild win.

Edwards was hurt late in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly after jumping while throwing a pass. He stayed down clutching his ankle before being helped to the back, and coach Chris Finch wasn’t sure how long he’ll be out, though Edwards wasn’t ruling out playing at Toronto on Saturday.

“I’m gonna see how it feels tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully I can play.”

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