The veteran forward scored 37 points in helping the road team overcome a 19-point deficit at the TD Garden, and afterwards talked about the chip on the shoulder his teammates all carry and why he wanted to be a part of that. Games like Monday back his play.
BOSTON – DeMar DeRozan just had a sense.
The sense that if he joined the Bulls in the offseason he would be thrown in with a bunch of players with a similar mindset as him. A mindset that requires a large-sized chip sitting firmly on a shoulder.
That’s how a team overcomes a 19-point deficit in Boston’s TD Garden.
“That was the reason I came [here in the summer], the conversation I had with the front office,’’ DeRozan said after the 128-114 Bulls win on Monday. “I felt it, I sensed it, I understood it, and as a competitor that’s something I wanted to be a part of.
“To me it didn’t seem like words. Everyone has been willing to put in the actions, understanding that nothing is going to be perfect, but everyone is willing and wants to win. You see it in the preparation, behind the scenes where nobody gets to see. It carries over on the court.’’
The Celtics wouldn’t argue that, as they went from being in the driver’s seat heading into the final 12 minutes, to being outscored 39-11 in the final quarter, finding out that the Bulls’ chip on the shoulder was too heavy for them to knock off.
DeRozan was the main reason why, finishing with 37 points on 15-for-20 from the field, but don’t count out the second-round rookie, who was projected to be getting most of his early minutes in the G-League at the start of the season.
Ayo Dosunmu didn’t get that memo.
The Morgan Park standout not only got 22 minutes, but has his best offensive game of the young Bulls season, finishing with 14, including a huge three-pointer in the midst of the rally.
That’s why coach Billy Donovan called his rookie “fearless’’ once again.
“My motto is just fear God,’ so I don’t fear anything but God,’’ Dosunmu said after. “When I go out there and compete, I trust in what I can do. And I just wanted to go out there and play hard.’’
The second unit did that all night for the 6-1 Bulls. The starters? There was a definite give and take, and it started with some serious taking.
The first four-plus minutes of the game couldn’t have started any better for the Bulls on the offensive end, DeRozan began the long-range onslaught with a 27-foot three-pointer, seemingly sparking a game of horse between him and his teammates.
Lonzo Ball then hit a three, followed by Nikola Vucevic, two more from Ball, and then back to DeRozan. When the net stopped smoking, the Bulls went 6-for-7 from three-point range to open the first quarter – mixing a Javonte Green alley-oop dunk in there – and had built a quick 20-11 lead.
Problem was Boston withstood the flurry, and then like a prize fighter answered the eight-count with a flurry of their own, as the nine-point Bulls lead was down to just one in about three minutes of work.
By the end of the first quarter, not only had the home team completely reeled the Bulls in, but grabbed the one-point lead. A lead they built up to 19 with 2:28 left in the third.
That’s also about when that chip on the shoulder that DeRozan talked about really kicked in. Zach LaVine woke up from his slow start, while the defense continued to make life difficult for Boston (2-5) at the rim and on the perimeter.
A Dosunmu three with 6:54 gave the Bulls their first lead since the second quarter, and the snowball just kept rolling.
“Just being resilient,’’ DeRozan said of the comeback. “I knew we weren’t going to lay down for any reason.’’