DeMar DeRozan ushered in the New Year by watching film of Michael Jordan’s iconic shot over Byron Russell, a shot that led the Bulls to yet another championship.
It’s a moment etched in time, a Jordan shaking Byron Russell at the top of the circle to bury the Jazz.
There was no title at stake Monday night when visiting Milwaukee came to town, a playoff rematch from last spring’s six-game series, but it had the feel of a post-season game, a star being asked to step up, a game that required overtime.
NBA history may not recall DeRozan’s exploits in the same conversation as Jordan, but Raptors history will as DeRozan became the franchise’s first player to drop 52 points.
It came in a thrilling 131-127 win, a classic ending, a jaw-dropping performance by DeRozan.
The win was the Raptors’ franchise-tying 12th in a row at home.
“Them moments, I wish there was something you could take to get that adrenalin, that feeling, that atmosphere, everything we had out there for 48 minutes,’’ said DeRozan. “It’s one of a kind.
“It always takes me back to when I was a kid watching games. It’s crazy because I watched Jordan in the last three minutes of Game 6 versus Utah in the Finals earlier today (Monday).
“Just that atmosphere they were playing in. I remember being a kid and wishing to be in moments just like that. So when you come out here and you are in those moments, you have to make the best out of it.”
When he addressed the media following his offensive explosion, teammate Jonas Valanciunas walked over from his nearby stall to stand next to DeRozan.
Valanciunas displayed a card with the numbers 52 to remind all of DeRozan’s night.
The ACC was electric, DeRozan was electrifying and the Raptors fed off their leading scorer, who simply would not be denied.
Multiple defenders took turns trying to defend DeRozan, small, long, tall, doubles, most of them coming far too late, traps, the Bucks went to their defensive bag of tricks, but to no avail.
DeRozan began the game by scoring 21 points in the opening period.
He had 26 points by the break.
Only Vince Carter and Terrence Ross have produced 50-point games in a regular season.
Carter is the only player in team history to go off for 50 in a post-season game.
When he was growing up, one of the players DeRozan admired from afar was Carter.
The Raptors visit Milwaukee Friday night.
“We tried to get the ball out of his hands and he made some great reads and then also he beat the double team and got to the basket,’’ Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said of DeRozan. “We have to do a better job of executing defensively what we’re trying to do.
“At some point, the guys on the floor have to know that DeRozan is going, it’s his ball and we just didn’t put up enough effort on the defensive side to get a stop.”
Dwane Casey normally fields a question when addressing the media, but he initiated the dialogue knowing full well the imprint DeRozan had just left on the court.
“First I want to say congratulations to DeMar DeRozan for setting the franchise record,’’ began Casey. “The young man, everyone can criticize him for iso basketball, but again you get the ball in your best player’s hands.
“He could have a little bit more movement (swinging the ball) is the only criticism we had, but he got the job done of getting us buckets down the stretch.”
DeRozan was sublime.
Next to Carter’s playoff performance against Philly, DeRozan’s New Year’s Day, or in this case evening, game ranks as the second most consequential moment for any player in Raptors history.
It was epic.
“He just kept it going,’’ said backcourt teammate Kyle Lowry, who ended the evening with 26 points. “He made such big plays and timely plays. This was a tough one. I’ll have to rewatch it and I think it’s how we won the game.
“The intensity of the game played a part in it also. It was really intense. It was a real playoff feel.”
DeMar DeRozan attacks the Milwaukee Bucks hoop (CP)
Delon Wright gets off a shot as he is fouled (CP)