By far and away, the biggest acquisition the Sacramento Kings made this offseason was the sign-and-trade that landed them DeMar DeRozan. By adding him, the Kings are hoping that the 35-year-old still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
But as we await the start of the regular season to see whether or not that actually is the case, let's take a look at some of the best performances of DeRozan's career up to this point.
DeMar DeRozan's Career Highs
Before we get into some individual game performances, here are DeRozan's career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and a couple of other box score statistics.
Statistic | Career High |
|---|---|
Minutes Played | 60 |
Points | 52 |
Rebounds | 15 |
Assists | 14 |
Steals | 6 |
Blocks | 4 |
Field Goals Made | 18 |
3-Pointers Made | 6 |
Free Throws Made | 24 |
A quick fun fact: this offseason, DeRozan actually scored more points in a Drew League game (54 points) than he has in any NBA game in his career (52) up to this point.
Best Games of DeMar DeRozan's Career
Now that we have those statistical accomplishments out of the way, what are some of the best overall games of DeRozan's career? To answer this question, we are going to use Basketball Reference's Game Score metric, which is basically like a catch-all box score metric for individual games (rather than the entire season). Based on that statistic, here are the five best games of DeRozan's career.
5. Game Score = 39; December 28, 2022 Versus Milwaukee Bucks
The fifth-best game in DeRozan's career came a few days after Christmas against the Milwaukee Bucks. In that game, DeRozan tallied 42 points, ten rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Giannis Antetounkmpo scored three more points (45) than DeRozan did in that game, but it didn't matter because, while The Greek Freak won the battle, DeRozan and the Bulls won the war (119-113).
4. Game Score = 39.5; March 13, 2024 @ Indiana Pacers
DeRozan's fourth-best game took place just last season. The depleted Bulls (missing Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams) needed DeRozan to channel another gear, and the veteran bucket-getter responded by posting 46 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in over forty-four minutes of action.
As a team, the Bulls managed to escape that overtime victory with a three-point win over the eventual Eastern Conference finalists.
3. Game Score = 41.3; March 31, 2022 Versus Los Angeles Clippers
This time, DeRozan had LaVine and Williams by his side, but the Bulls still needed their Windy City Assassin (I am well aware that is actually Derrick Rose's nickname). In this overtime thriller, DeRozan managed to hit the half-century mark (50 points), along with six assists and five rebounds.
As was the case with the first two games we mentioned, the Bulls secured a single-digit victory (135-130).
2. Game Score = 44.1; January 1, 2018 Versus Milwaukee Bucks
Here is the first (and only game) in DeRozan's top five that game during his iconic tenure with the Toronto Raptors. On the first day of the New Year, Canada's team hosted the Milwaukee Bucks, and DeRozan scored more points than he ever has in an NBA game (52) and added eight assists, five rebounds, one block, and one steal in the process. The Raptors won that game 131-127.
1. Game Score = 45.7; March 17, 2023 Versus Minnesota Timberwolves
According to Game Score, the best game in DeRozan's illustrious career came on March 17, 2023, when his Bulls hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves (the team we play to open up the season).
In that game, DeRozan played nearly 52 minutes (the game went into double overtime) and posted a stat line of 49 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The Bulls beat the Timberwolves 139-131, making DeRozan's teams a perfect 5-0 in his five best career games.
DeMar DeRozan's Best Playoff Game
The best Game Score of DeRozan's playoff career (30.2) came in a loss during Game 3 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals. DeRozan scored 37 points, three assists, three steals, and two rebounds. Unfortunately, as you may recall, that was the same game in which LeBron James hit his famous buzzer-beater to practically end the Raptors' season.