So much for not shooting 3s.
Saturday night, for the second day in a row, DeMar DeRozan won the Chicago Bulls a game with a buzzer-beating triple. On Friday, it was a one-legged leaner to down the Indiana Pacers 108-106. On Saturday, it was a contested corner shot that beat the Wizards 120-119:
Not only did those game-winners extend the Bulls' current win streak to seven, and push their season-long record to 24-10, it also marks the first time in NBA history that a player has hit game-winning buzzer beaters on back-to-back nights, according to Basketball Reference.
Larry Bird once did it in consecutive games, but those games fell two days apart. Only DeRozan has done it on both ends of a back-to-back.
"I didn't know that," DeRozan said. "Just to hit a buzzer beater in general is amazing, especially when you can do it on the road.
"I don't know if I'm dreaming or if it's real right now. But it's something that you work your butt off, and you understand, when you're in those positions, you try to capitalize on them the best way you can. Because you're gonna have games where you miss some, but (being) willing to step up whenever that moment is called for and be ready for it, that's all you can do."
Acting head coach Chris Fleming was in a bit of disbelief, as well.
"DeMar's shot again was unbelievable," Fleming said. "It's kind of funny, I always say he's a better 3-point shooter than people give him credit for, but oddly enough he always has his toes on the line."
Not tonight.
"With three seconds left and guys hanging on him, he had the presence of mind to look down and find out where his feet were to make that shot," Fleming said. "Incredible shot."
It's just the latest in a long line of late-game heroics for DeRozan, who leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring (he's fifth in the NBA in scoring, overall) and is now shooting a career-best 37.3 percent from 3-point range on the season.
But he always seems to save his best for last.
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