| Everyone likes watching buzzer-beating game-winners, right? No matter whether it’s the NBA, college, high school or whatever, there is something about the glorious finality of it all that uplifts the sports fan’s soul (unless, of course, you root for the other team). But for the enhanced, fully-loaded, VIP version of the walk-off experience, here is something fun to do if you’ve got too much time on your hands. Watch the same clip multiple times, while focusing on the reaction of a different person for each replay. At the very least, it gives a tremendous perspective of the highs and lows of sports, and how emotions and fortunes can fluctuate in an instant. And sometimes, you get to spot something really cool. As you’re probably aware by now, DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls created a slice of history last week. On the final night of 2021, DeRozan hit a game-winner at the buzzer to sink the Indiana Pacers. On Jan. 1, 2022, he did exactly the same thing, this time against the Washington Wizards. It was the first time in league history that the same player had hit buzzer-beaters on back-to-back nights, a feat made even more unfeasible to be replicated in that the games took place in different years, despite being separated by only 24 hours. DeRozan’s shots are worth watching in their own right as a display of elite clutch deliverance, but if you try honing in on each individual in the frame, you’ll eventually stumble across Jordan Bell. Bell, 26, has played just eight games for three teams over the last three seasons, and was recently picked up from the Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s G-League affiliate – under the COVID-19 hardship exemption. He has yet to see any game time. But immediately after each of DeRozan’s triumphant shots, Bell did something that speaks volumes for his own character and for the team spirit that has lifted Chicago to eight straight wins and the top spot in the East. When DeRozan pulled up near the logo and offered up a one-legged heave against the Pacers, Bell momentarily turned away from the pack of players that descended upon DeRozan and grabbed the game ball – realizing it would be a worthy memento for his teammate. The following night, it was roughly the same. After briefly leaping into the pack of celebrants, he sprinted across the court to retrieve the ball and later gave it to DeRozan, who has emerged as a leading contender for the NBA MVP award. “Those things don’t happen every day,” Bell told NBC Chicago. “The first one, I saw the shot and it looked good so I was just running on the court, trying to get a better angle. It kind of fell in my hands almost. “You always want to cherish moments like that. Who doesn’t want a game ball after they hit a buzzer-beater off one leg to end the New Year? And then the second one, I was like, ‘damn, he did it again.’ I was so excited that I was like, ‘I’m going to get the ball for him again.’ It’s pretty dope to do that to end the year and start a new one.” For the Bulls, DeRozan is the fourth-quarter closer. Zach LaVine is grateful the team has found someone to match his offensive output. Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball have been outstanding contributors since being signed and there is a growing sense that the Bulls are not to be underestimated with the season nearing its midway point. FOX Bet has them priced at +3000 to win the championship. Perhaps the most important factor is that the Bulls seem to like each other and they play for each other, a situation that hasn’t gone unnoticed in Chicago, particularly coming as Bulls legend Scottie Pippen continues to throw out controversial comments about former teammate Michael Jordan. “DeMar has come here for the right reasons,” said acting head coach Chris Fleming. “He really wants to be part of a winner. He’s a winning player. He has been on good teams before. I think the way he goes about talking to his teammates and treating his teammates and treating and talking to his coaches, I think that of all the other things you see on the basketball court and his ability to put that thing in the basket, I think it starts there with him.” A clue into DeRozan’s thinking came early, in his initial comments after joining the Bulls. “It’s not about me, like, ‘I’m going to go out there and get 25 shots,’” DeRozan said before the start of the season. “No. None of us think that way. It’s all about winning.” Both DeRozan and LaVine are stars, but they complement each other and take noticeable satisfaction in the other’s success. Buzzer-beaters will capture the headlines but hard work and reveling in the ongoing grind of the season is what’s going to get things done. After missing six free throws during Monday’s victory over the Orlando Magic, DeRozan returned to the court once the stands had emptied and practiced 250 from the stripe. The Bulls have had a week of dramatics, but one of their secrets is that everything else is drama-free. |
