DeMar DeRozan’s 20-point performance led the Chicago Bulls to a 104-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, ending their two-game losing streak during Sunday’s NBA action.
The final leg of a brief three-game road trip for the Bulls also saw significant contributions from Coby White, who scored 15 points and 10 assists, and Andre Drummond, who added another 15 points from the bench.
A key moment came late in the game when Ayo Dosunmu’s three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining effectively clinched the win for Chicago. Despite struggling with their three-point shooting, making only eight out of 32 attempts, the Bulls leaned on their defense to secure the victory.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan highlighted the team’s effort in ball distribution despite their shooting woes and commended their defensive resilience.
“I really thought we tried to share the ball,” Donovan said. “I think 27 assists on the number of threes that we generated, that we just didn’t shoot the ball very well. But I give the guys credit, we hung in there defensively.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls, Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Jerami Grant was the top scorer for Portland with 24 points, while Deandre Ayton contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Blazers have been facing challenges recently, losing four of their last five games.
The game remained closely contested, with the Bulls holding a slender 76-75 lead going into the final quarter. A three-pointer by Chicago rookie Julian Phillips helped extend their lead, but Portland kept the game within reach thanks to Anfernee Simons’ efforts.
Simons’ late-game three-pointer brought the Blazers within three points, but DeRozan responded with a crucial three-pointer of his own. Dosunmu’s late three-pointer, assisted by Nikola Vucevic, dashed Portland’s hopes for a comeback. Dosunmu expressed gratitude for the win and for Vucevic’s trust in him to make the crucial play.
“Anytime you get a win, it always feels good,” Dosunmu said. “It just feels good because of the work I put into it, (Vucevic) trusting me, he could have easily just shot it because he’s a veteran and an All-Sar, but he trusted in me to make the right play.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls, Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Bulls played without Patrick Williams due to a sore left foot, and his absence was felt given the team’s already depleted roster, including missing Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig.
Grant and rookie Scoot Henderson were questionable for Portland due to injuries, but both played. The Blazers, near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, have struggled with injuries and illness throughout January.
“We know we’ve got the players capable of putting up numbers, scoring from the outside, from the inside. We just have to figure it out,” Grant said. “I really don’t have the answers for that, but we’re definitely capable.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls, Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Trail Blazers had difficulty with their three-point shooting, mirroring Chicago’s struggles, and Grant acknowledged the team’s potential but admitted the need to find solutions.
Looking ahead, the Bulls will host the Toronto Raptors before traveling to play the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are set to host the Philadelphia 76ers, followed by a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which will see former Portland star Damian Lillard return to the city.
