DeMar DeRozan is jockeying with Steph Curry for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award.
In a span of five minutes and three seconds, DeRozan did everything possible to put the Chicago Bulls in a winning position — purposefully missing a free throw, hitting a turnaround jumper to send the game into overtime, opening the extra period with eight consecutive points to force the Pacers defense to commit, then dumping off every ensuing pass to give his teammates the best chance to score. He finished the game with 46 points, 18 of which were scored in the fourth quarter or overtime.
“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in — in a fun way,” DeRozan said. “I’m not scared to fail. I’m not scared to try and make something happen. I want those moments more than anything. It reminds me of my childhood, being a kid, doing the little fake countdown, jumping on the bed. As a competitor, those moments are always something I try to relish.”
The award debuted last year, and DeRozan was a leading candidate, finishing behind Jimmy Butler and winner De’Aaron Fox. The award is named for Jerry West, who was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his ability to close out games for the Los Angeles Lakers. DeRozan is second in average clutch points trailing only Curry . Despite his higher volume of clutch minutes, DeRozan also slightly trails in total points behind Curry . Neither has hit a game-winning shot this season, although both have hit buzzer-beaters to send games into overtime.
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