With Zach Lavine out, the Chicago Bulls have relied more on DeMar DeRozan to shoulder the offensive load on a nightly basis. In the process, the All-Star found himself leading the NBA when it comes to minutes played every night.
Just recently, the Bulls got the close 110-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at the United Center. DeRozan led Chicago by dropping 28 points, five rebounds, and six assists in 40 minutes on the court. Ayo Dosunmu added 23 points and 10 assists, while Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and nine rebounds.
The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, saw Anfernee Simons make 30 points and nine assists to lead the Western Conference team. Deandre Ayton posted 25 points and 15 boards, while Scoot Henderson contributed 14 points and five assists.
The loss reinforced Portland’s position as the second-worst team in the West, just behind the San Antonio Spurs. Chicago, meanwhile, is still in the playoff picture with a 34-35 record, the ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago Bulls Star DeMar DeRozan Shares Reason Why He Has the Most Minutes Played in the NBA
As seen in the Bulls’ recent home game against Portland, DeRozan played 40 minutes to help his team land the dub. The six-time All-Star shared more in a post by Cody Westerlund on X:
DeMar DeRozan on leading the NBA in minutes: “I don’t have other hobbies that cause me to exert any energy, you know. So I try to take care of myself the best I can. And I just love hooping. I love playing the game, no matter how many minutes it is. I just love being out there,” Westerlund tweeted.
Throughout 67 games this season as the Bulls’ starting small forward, DeRozan has played an average of 37.7 minutes per game. This stat goes along with his averages of 23.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest.
With the regular season coming to a close soon, Chicago may have to rely more on DeRozan to take them to the playoffs. Expect the Bulls star to increase his workload on the court to make that goal a reality.
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