DeMar DeRozan’s 46 leads Bulls past Pacers in OT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 46 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime, to help the Chicago Bulls outlast the Indiana Pacers 132-129 on Wednesday night.
The All-Star forward’s only 3-pointer at the 2:17 mark of overtime pushed the Bulls ahead 127-123. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed a 3-pointer just before the final buzzer.
The final 72 seconds of regulation were particularly entertaining as Pacers center Myles Turner hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions with 1:12 and 56.7 seconds remaining for a 3-point lead. But DeRozan sank a free throw and swished a baseline fadeaway jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to force overtime.
The teams traded the lead 12 times in the fourth.
The Bulls’ Alex Caruso scored 23 and Ayo Dosunmu 20.
Turner led the Pacers with 27 points and five 3-pointers. Pascal Siakam scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Haliburton had 17 points and 14 assists.
Pacers reserves T.J. McConnell and Jalen Smith scored 16 and 15 as the Indiana bench owned a 47-16 advantage.
The Bulls outscored the Pacers 35-23 in the third quarter to take a 93-85 lead. Caruso contributed 14 points with four 3-pointers in the stretch. DeRozan added nine points.
The Pacers’ bench provided 11 points in a 15-1 run to forge an eight-point lead midway through the second quarter. The advantage reached 11 before the Bulls closed the gap to 62-58 at the break.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host L.A. Clippers on Thursday.
Pacers: Host Brooklyn on Saturday.
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