DeMar DeRozan: These Bulls Don’t Back Down From Challenge

The Bulls have won three straight and that includes a win over the high-profile Nets on their own home court.

“You want to be the best, you got to beat the best,” Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan told reporters. “Everybody talks about being best, but you got to go out there. No matter if you are short-handed, you want to be the best, you got to go out there and compete against the best.”

Along the way, the Bulls (16-8) have had to overcome some adversity.

Time to celebrate. ⁦@chicagobulls⁩ win in Brooklyn. ⁦@670TheScore⁩ ⁦@Audacy⁩ ⁦@chicagobulls⁩ radio network pic.twitter.com/K4JIDbEwEs

— chuck swirsky (@ctsbulls) December 5, 2021

As the Associated Press noted, some key parts were missing ahead of the win over Brooklyn — as were some of the parts that were expected to replace those key parts.

“The Bulls entered the game with Javonte Green and Coby White in health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19,” the AP wrote. “With Patrick Williams (left wrist) already out, the Bulls started Alex Caruso at power forward, but he was later ruled out due to a hamstring injury that was bothering him entering the game. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said it was a medical decision to pull Caruso and that he did not know how long he might be sidelined.”

On the right side, the Bulls still have had DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and others.

“It says a lot about our team,” DeRozan said of the wins over the Nets, and the Knicks before them. “How resilient. How we approach challenges. We don’t shy away from them. We accept them.”