CHICAGO (670 The Score) – If Tuesday marked big man Andre Drummond’s final game with the Bulls, he sure went out in style.
Drawing a rare start as the Bulls made a lineup adjustment to use both Drummond and center Nikola Vucevic together against the bigger Timberwolves, Drummond had 16 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks to help Chicago rally from a 23-point deficit early in the third quarter and earn a 129-123 overtime win against Minnesota at the United Center. Drummond’s performance came as he has landed in plenty of trade speculation with the trade deadline looming Thursday.
“I just control what I can control,” said the 30-year-old Drummond, who’s in the final season of his contract and playing for his sixth NBA team. “I’ve been doing this for 12 years, man. It didn’t change then, it won’t change now. There’s nothing I can do about it. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, great. Either way, I’m just going to come in and do my job on a daily basis.
“Great night for me, great night for the team and an excellent win.”
Vucevic and Drummond had played together for stretches when matchups dictated this season, but this marked the first time they’d ever started a game together. The Bulls were +12 with the two on the floor together Tuesday, not including the final minute or so of overtime in which Chicago made a few offense/defense substitutions. They were both on the floor during a key stretch in the third quarter when the Bulls began chipping away at their 23-point deficit.
Helped by the pairing, the Bulls outrebounded the Wolves by a 48-42 margin for the game and also had 16 blocks as a team, Chicago’s season-high. Like Drummond, Vucevic and guard Alex Caruso also had four blocks each.
“We were just flying around,” Drummond said. “I was able to play free safety a little bit. Rudy (Gobert’s) not a shooting big, so I was able to kind of sag off of him and go help our guys when guys got to the paint, and they had my back too on a few plays too. We were just clicking on all cylinders on both ends of the court.”
Beyond his production, Drummond also put on a theatrical show, hitting the 7-foot-1 Gobert with the too-small gesture twice after baskets, cajoling the crowd all evening and celebrating with a Sam Cassell-style big balls dance as the Bulls took control in overtime, which will likely draw him a fine.
In the third quarter, Drummond even stole a moment to intensely follow the beloved Dunkin’ Donuts race on the videoboard, a habit of his that usually comes when he’s on the bench. It made for a nice moment of levity as he celebrated the race result from mid-court before the ball was inbounded.
“That’s just how I play,” Drummond said of showing his passion. “I’ve played my whole career like that. I’m having a great night, we’re having a great night as a team. The energy was there, so I was just enjoying the moment.”
The Bulls have Wednesday off before the trade deadline arrives Thursday afternoon. They’ll then play at the Memphis Grizzlies later that evening.
Whether Drummond is still a member of the team then remains to be seen. He could surely fill a need for a contender at a modest price, and the Bulls — sitting at 24-27 and ninth in the East — would be wise to flip him for something of small value if they believe he's going to walk in free agency this coming summer.
If Drummond is headed for a new destination soon, his teammates will miss him.
“He was terrific, he was fantastic, awesome,” said guard Coby White, who along with forward DeMar DeRozan had a team-high 33 points.
“He’s probably the strongest guy in the league. When he’s bringing that energy and physicality, we’re a whole different team, and he knows that. So I’m not surprised. He just adapts to whatever role. He started tonight. Whatever role it is, he adapts and he handles it like a true professional. He’s always locked in.”
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund .
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