To say that DeMar DeRozan’s first season with the Chicago Bulls has been spectacular, might be an understatement.
The 32-year old forward has been stacking up incredible performances against all odds with a depleted roster around him, and it was no different in Wednesday night’s 125-118 victory over the Sacramento Kings. DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to score at least 35 points while shooting at least 50 percent from the field in seven consecutive games. The previous record was held by basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain who did it in six consecutive games not only once, but twice — during the 1960-61 and 1962-63 seasons.
Talking to reporters after the game, DeRozan said he was “speechless” knowing that his name stood above all the legends that have played the game:
“As a kid, as a fan of the history of the game, being in the league as long as I’ve been in this league — things like that continue to make me even more humble. Being an NBA player and being able to have the privilege to be able to play this long and have these opportunities, man, it’s something I never take for granted. And the crazy thing is I felt like I missed eight easy shots I normally would have made.”
DeRozan’s streak comes at a time where he is averaging a career high 28.1 points per game on 51.7% shooting. The craziest part? Despite the scoring streak, his points per game is the only major statistical category he is currently setting a career high in — and that includes field goal percentage.
With the victory Wednesday night, DeRozan and the Bulls sit half a game ahead of the Miami Heat for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games to play. This weekend’s All-Star Break will feature DeRozan starting for Team LeBron, meanwhile Zach LaVine is a reserve player on Team Durant. This season marks the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Bulls will have multiple All-Star game representatives. The previous pair? Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol.
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