The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls in a hard-fought Game 1 on Sunday, and among the most notable takeaways was the defensive effort against DeMar DeRozan.
Chicago’s All-Star forward finished the matchup with 18 points on a lackluster 6-for-25 shooting as he struggled to find a rhythm. These shooting struggles were partially due to the defense from Milwaukee’s starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews, who were primarily tasked with hounding DeRozan from start to finish. Among the reasons why the pair were so successful in keeping DeRozan’s offensive contributions to a minimum was because they managed to avoid sending him to the free throw line, as he had just six attempts for the game. Keeping the forward off the line will be a pivotal aspect throughout this series as the Bucks look to contain DeRozan.
The Milwaukee Bucks must continue defending DeMar DeRozan without fouling
DeRozan proved to be one of the best in the business at getting to the free throw line during the regular season as he earned 593 attempts, the third-most in the association, per NBA.com/stats. The All-Star trailed only Joel Embiid (803) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (766), two big men that are always attacking down low. For DeRozan, a player that primarily relies on his jump shooting, to be third on this list is eye-catching, as it shows how much he can draw contact and get that boost at the stripe. This knack for getting to the line was certainly on display as the Bucks and Bulls met for the first time this year back in January as DeRozan tallied a season-high 18 free throw attempts. The Bucks could not allow that to happen again in this playoff series, and they did a quality job of limiting DeRozan’s time at the line in Game 1.
Over his 43 minutes played in the opening matchup, DeRozan attempted six free throw attempts courtesy of one shooting foul from Brook Lopez and two from Wesley Matthews. Considering the forward attempted 7.8 free throws per contest throughout the regular season, the Bucks did keep him below his average, which was crucial in this particular meeting. With DeRozan struggling from the field, keeping him off the line for a significant portion of the game prevented him from finding a groove from the stripe, which could have sparked something offensively. The free throw line is a prominent aspect of DeRozan’s game, and limiting his appearances there will be vital throughout this series. Thankfully, the Bucks have two savvy veteran defenders in Holiday and Matthews that understand just how important this will be moving forward.
Following his 18-point outing in Game 1, DeRozan let it be known that he would be better next time as he proclaimed to reporters that there is, “No way in hell I shoot 6 for 25 again.” The forward will look to come out aggressive right from the jump in Game 2, and if the Bucks can keep up their robust defensive intensity without fouling, it could make all the difference in this series. Matthews will once again draw the primary assignment of guarding DeRozan, and though he did foul him on two separate occasions in Game 1, his effort was solid overall, while Holiday was clean throughout as he did not foul DeRozan once. These two must sustain the pressure and force DeRozan to work for every single basket without sending him to the stripe for easy opportunities.
Time will tell if the Milwaukee Bucks can replicate their Game 1 excellence on DeRozan.