Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan scores season-high 46, outlasting Pacers in OT

INDIANAPOLIS – Just another reminder that DeMar DeRozan is going to get paid this summer.

A lot.

Whether it’s by the Bulls – very likely – or another NBA team, the 34-year-old veteran showed yet again on Wednesday just what the purchase for his free-agent services will get, cape and all.

Not only did DeRozan score a season-high 46 points in the 132-129 overtime win over the Pacers, but missed a free throw on purpose late in the regulation to eventually set up his own game-tying baseline jumper, as well as then scoring nine points in the extra stanza.

No word yet on if DeRozan then piloted the team charter home.

Big picture? It was a much-needed win for the Bulls (32-34), inching them to within 3 ½ games of Miami in trying to get out of the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in,” DeRozan said of his latest heroics. “In a fun way. You embrace those moments. I’m not scared to fail, I’m not scared to try and make something happen. I want those moments more than anything.

“It reminds me of my childhood, being a kid and doing the little fake countdown, jumping on the bed. As a competitor those moments are always something I try and relish in.”

The Bulls needed all of those moments against Indiana (37-30).

Trailing the Pacers 62-58 at the half, the Bulls came out of the locker room and were all business on both ends of the floor, initially led by Alex Caruso.

Not that Caruso leading the Bulls was anything new, but it was the end of the floor that he led them that was a bit of a surprise.

Caruso greeted the home team with a three pointer to cut the deficit to one and then three minutes later was at it again from long range, giving his team a three-point lead with another three. Just in case the Pacers weren’t sold on his long-range expertise, he hit another three just over a minute later, and then answered with a finger roll.

When the smoke eventually cleared on the third, the Bulls had built a 93-85 lead, while Caruso finished the stanza with 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range.

But these are the 2023-24 Bulls, where no lead is safe, and everything is made hard.

Trailing by one with 3:15 left, Indiana seemingly grabbed a little momentum when a foul on DeRozan was overturned on a challenge, but they missed the three. No worries, as the Bulls faltered on the other end with a 24-second shot clock violation. An errant pass by Obi Toppin led to a Coby White lay-up, however, putting the Bulls up three.

Then Myles Turner happened.

The Pacers big man hit back-to-back threes, including one with 56 seconds left, forcing coach Billy Donovan into a timeout trailing by three.

Then craziness ensued, as White appeared to give the Bulls the lead on a breakaway, but Pascal Siakam came from nowhere to block the shot. The Pacers ran down the loose ball and were eventually fouled to again make it a three-point lead with 5.5 seconds left.

White was hurt on the play so was in the training room for the last possession, but Pacers chose to foul DeRozan and put him at the line with 3.8 seconds left. DeRozan made the first and purposely missed the second, which was tipped out of bounds by Indiana.

And of course DeRozan hit the game-tying shot.

As for White, Donovan said it was his right hip and he would be evaluated in Chicago. As for DeRozan? Just another night at the office.

“The way we played against Dallas (Monday), I always feel good about the way (DeRozan) is going to come back and respond,” Donovan added. “He’s that competitive.”