SAN ANTONIO —
Postgame
Former Spur DeMar DeRozan scored 19 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Bulls in a comeback over his old team.
San Antonio led by six points heading into the last 12 minutes, but everyone knows how DeRozan closes out games. He took over completely against good defense, even desperate defense, and it just didn't seem to matter. The Spurs' modest two-game winning streak comes to a close as they just didn't have enough shooting. They made six threes in the entire game, compared to 12 in the first half against the Hawks just the other night.
Game Story
First Quarter
Dejounte Murray found Doug McDermott for a cutting score to open the game, then Coby White went on an 8-0 run before Murray hit McDermott again for three. Doug got to the rim again off a feed from Keldon Johnson.
Murray hit Jakob Poeltl for a layup, then got one himself. White hit a three to make it a 21-13 Bulls lead, but Murray dished to McDermott and Johnson to stop the bleeding. Rookie Josh Primo drove in for a layup, then Zach Collins finished inside.
Lonnie Walker IV canned a few jumpers, and the Spurs trailed 29-27 after one.
Second Quarter
Zach Collins drilled a three to give the Spurs a lead, then grabbed an offensive board, then dove on the floor for a loose one.
Lonnie picked off a pass, looked around to confirm that he was all alone, waited for the mop guy to leave the paint, and smashed on the rim.
McDermott took a dribble handoff, turned the corner, and scored at the rim once more. Lonnie made a great late contest on DeMar, grabbed the long rebound, but couldn't convert as they left the run at 9-0.
Coby White came back in and tied the game at 34 on a feed from DeRozan, forcing a timeout by Pop. McDermott hit a three, then Keldon got an and-1.
DeMar and Lonnie dueled for a bit, with DeMar draining jumpers and Walker getting a layup and a three. Poeltl got a pair of scores inside to put the Spurs up 49-48 after DeMar crammed on him viciously.
Vucevic was left open for three, but Dejounte beat him on a layup on the next play, then drew a foul on him to put the Spurs back in front. DJ got to his spot and banged a shot off the iron, but it went straight up and straight into the basket.
DeMar got Devin Vassell in the air for free throws, and Dejounte got to the line with a drive on the other end, but failed to convert. San Antonio trailed 59-57 at halftime.
Third Quarter
Devin Vassell flew in for a steal on a hammer pass, and Dejounte flipped it to McDermott for an easy three to tie. DeRozan scored inside, but McDermott tied it again at the line.
Murray poked away a steal on a back cut, then crossed over and took it to the rack through contact for three the old fashioned way.
DeRozan threw a cross-court pass for a three to answer. Jak found Keldon for a backdoor reverse, then Murray bounced it in to Poeltl for his eighth assist.
DeRozan shoved Keldon and got an offensive foul, then got a technical, then got crossed over by Murray who banked in a wing jumper, then threw a bad pass and turned it over.
Poeltl finished a feed from Lonnie Walker IV. Keldon tied up DeMar, beat him on the jump ball, and gave it to Lonnie on a dribble handoff for a tough layup through contact to put the Spurs up 7. Chicago ripped off a 5-0 run, and Pop called time.
Walker drilled a corner three on a feed from Murray, but Chicago answered with three. DeRozan dribbled into the mid-range and shot over all 7'1" of Poeltl, swishing it. Poeltl got it on a roll and made a pass to Keita Bates-Diop for a cutting dunk, then DJ passed to KBD for a layup. Bates-Diop got a steal and got it to Lonnie in transition, who cocked it all the way back and slammed it angrily.
Bates-Diop threw a behind-the-back dribble and nearly lost it, but made a tough shot inside to put the Spurs up 6. Tre Jones missed, but Walker soared in to tip it into the basket. San Antonio led 89-83 heading to the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
DeMar attacked for an and-1 right out of the gate, but Zach Collins finished inside on a pick and roll feed from Tre Jones. Vuc scored inside, then DeRozan to make it 91-90 Spurs.
Out of a timeout, Vassell got a jumper to rattle home, but DeMar swished one and then took it to the rack to put the Bulls up a bucket. Vassell drove, pulled up, and banked it in off the window. DeRozan pulled up and swished again, but on the other end Zach Collins banked one home from the free throw line. DeRozan drove in for another layup to make it 10 straight points for him.
Keldon drove in for free throws, and Dejounte Murray came back into a one-point game.
Josh Primo tried to check DeMar, who schooled the Toronto native with a pump fake. Keldon scored inside. San Antonio doubled DeRozan, and came up just short fouling on a dunk that put the Bulls up 3.
Murray snatched a board, took it coast-to-coast, and scored in traffic. Poeltl lobbed it to Murray, who caught it mid-air and popped it in. Vuc got it inside and dunked to push Chicago's lead back to 3.
Poeltl fought inside and stole an extra possession for the Spurs, but McDermott missed an open three from the corner. KBD played perfect defense on a DeMar fade and it did not matter.
Lonnie drove to the rim and got to the line, but missed the second. The Spurs doubled DeMar again and finally forced a miss, and Dejounte bounced it in to Poeltl who cut the deficit to just 2. McDermott doubled DeRozan and fouled, sending him to the line where he got up to 40 points for the night.
McDermott threw a bad turnover, Vuc scored in transition, and Pop called time down 6 with 1:53 to play. Chicago saw a pass from Dejounte coming and picked it off, and Coby White got fouled hard and went to the line, where he missed one. Keldon drove and got blocked and DeMar passed to White for a three and a 10-point lead.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (22-35) will continue their 2022 Rodeo Road Trip Monday night as they visit the Chicago Bulls (34-21). The Spurs are 2-1 on the Rodeo Trip and have won two straight games.
Before the contest, coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged that the Spurs are rebuilding, and won't win a championship this year, but at the same time explained why the Spurs aren't tanking.
"You can't go to your team and ask them to lose," Popovich said, noting that if you lose and get a good draft pick you accept it, but "it can't be because you didn't push them or teach them or demand from them."
San Antonio is also 1-0 versus Chicago this season.
In their previous game, San Antonio beat the Pelicans, 124-114.
Dejounte Murray led the team with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Devin Vassell had 14 points and Keldon Johnson added 16 points.
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. Bulls' DeMar DeRozan has scored 35-plus points while shooting .500 or better from the field in each of his last five games.
2. Bulls' Nikola Vucevic has recorded a Chicago team-leading 32 double-doubles and has double-doubles in 14 of his last 18 games.
3. Chicago has lost three straight games including one at home.
4. The Spurs have won three straight games over the Bulls.
5. Spurs' Murray has scored 30-plus points in two straight games.
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