3 takeaways from Chicago Bulls' incredible comeback win vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Led by DeMar DeRozan's 10-point display in OT, the Bulls beat the Bucks for the second time this season.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Despite their struggles, the Chicago Bulls show up to big games. Yesterday's matchup against the No.2 seed Milwaukee Bucks was no different.

“You run faster if a dog starts chasing you, right?” DeMar DeRozan said. “It’s kind of like that type of feeling, if that makes sense.”

The Bulls were down 11 with 2:18 left at the United Center—they trailed by 15 at the start of the fourth quarter. But the team once again showed character and pulled off a comeback for the ages to improve their record against Milwaukee to 2-0 on the season.

Incredible 4th quarter run

Chicago's habit of falling behind early usually deprives them of the opportunity to showcase their 4th quarter prowess. But throughout the majority of yesterday's game, the Bulls stayed within striking distance against one of the best teams in the NBA.

Still, after Jevon Carter hit a three to put the Bucks up 94-79 with 08:08 remaining, a comeback seemed unlikely, to say the least. And yet, with 7.8 seconds left to play, the Bulls were able to tie the game.

The run was capped off with an Ayo Dosunmu dunk after DeRozan stole an inbound pass from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Patrick Williams then forced the 2xMVP to travel, and the entire United Center erupted as the game went into overtime.

There, a familiar face took over.

DeMar steals it and Ayo slams it. WE ARE TIED! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Dgen5H26nn

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 29, 2022

Mr. Clutch strikes again

DeRozan hit a huge game-winning jump shot against the New York Knicks on Friday. He followed it up with an epic OT performance in a 119-113 win over the Bucks yesterday.

“I just made some big plays at big moments of the game where it was necessary for us,” DeRozan said. “That’s big, trying to make winning plays late in the game.”

The 5x All-Star finished with a team-high 42 points on 15-of-25 from the floor. He added 10 rebounds, and five assists and made 12-of-14 free throw shots without attempting a single three-pointer.

DeMar's seven points helped the Bulls complete their huge 4th quarter comeback. In overtime alone, the 33-year-old scored 10 of Chicago's 13 points.

Thriving against the top of the East

The Bulls beat one of the best teams in the NBA after losing to one of the worst — Houston Rockets — only two days earlier.

DeRozan and Zach LaVine admitted they underestimated Houston going into the matchup and promised to up the level of urgency moving forward. Yesterday, the team responded great to improve their record to 15-19 on the season—they sit at the final play-in spot nearly halfway into the regular season. 

More importantly, Chicago is now 5-1 against the Eastern Conference's top three seeds—2-0 vs. Bucks, 2-1 vs. Celtics, and 1-0 vs. Nets. Meanwhile, they are 4-9 against teams below .500. which makes their campaign underwhelming, despite some impressive wins against legitimate title contenders.