DeMar DeRozan was brought to Chicago to help the Bulls further their bid as an Eastern Conference contender.
Earning attention as an NBA MVP candidate wasn’t part of the forecast, but DeRozan continues to be one of the top players in the league this season as the Bulls open a six-game homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
The 32-year-old DeRozan ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.4 points and is headed to his fifth All-Star Game — and third as a starter.
He also is averaging 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists for a Chicago squad that sits tied for third place in the East, just one game back of the first-place Miami Heat as of Thursday.
DeRozan has exceeded 30 points in four straight games, topped by a season-high 45-point effort against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. He is averaging 37.5 points and shooting 56.9 percent from the field during the hot stretch.
“Just going out there and playing,” DeRozan told reporters after scoring 36 points during Wednesday’s 121-109 road win over the Charlotte Hornets. “Just trying to finish this thing before going into the (All-Star) break, understanding how critical these games are and that it is a big opportunity for us with these next few games coming up before the break. It was big.
“Get a little momentum going on the road and understanding that this is a great opportunity going back home, and we want to protect our home court going into the break.”
DeRozan spent his first nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors and the past three with the San Antonio Spurs. His best single-season scoring mark is the 27.3 average he posted for the Raptors during the 2016-17 campaign.
The addition of DeRozan — and two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic 10 1/2 months ago — have made the Bulls one of the top contenders for the No. 1 seed in the East.
Vucevic contributed 18 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists against the Hornets.
“We have to play through (Vucevic) because it relieves a lot of pressure on us trying to handle the ball at the top of the key,” DeRozan said. “When we play through him we get a lot of open shots and layups.”
Minnesota is looking to rebound from Wednesday night’s 132-119 road loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Timberwolves had won five straight games — tying a season high — before losing on the second night of back-to-back games in Sacramento. Minnesota defeated the Kings 134-114 one night earlier.
The Timberwolves are in the hunt for a top-six finish in the Western Conference, a placement that would allow them to avoid the play-in round.
Minnesota has reached the playoffs just once in the previous 17 seasons. But the rebuilding project is coming along fast now that second-year pro Anthony Edwards (22.0 points per game) has joined big man Karl-Anthony Towns (24.3) in the marquee section.
The 20-year-old Edwards scored 26 points in Wednesday’s loss.
“I look at (Edwards) as a star player, a superstar in the making, so the most valuable thing your star player could give you is availability,” Towns told reporters. “So for him to be available and be ready to go on the court and everything, it speaks volumes to who he is as a professional, who he is as a basketball player and the type of leader he’s growing into being.”
Towns contributed 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on Wednesday. D’Angelo Russell had 29 points and 10 assists.
The Timberwolves have won nine of their past 12 meetings with the Bulls.
