NBA: DeRozan back as Bulls down Pistons in Paris clash

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DeMar Derozan of the United States of the Chicago Bulls fights against the US forward of the Detroit Pistons Saddiq Bey during the NBA Paris Games 2023 basketball match between the Detroit Bulls and the Chicago Pistons at the Arena stadium in Paris on January 19, 2023. (Photo by Anne- Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar Derozan drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons’ Saddiq Bey during the NBA Paris 2023 Game at the Arena stadium in Paris on January 19, 2023. (AFP)

PARIS – DeMar DeRozan returned from injury to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons in Thursday’s NBA game in Paris, scoring 26 points in a 126-108 victory.

The Bulls star has missed the past three games with a right quad strain but is back in the lineup when the French capital hosts its second regular season game after debuting on the NBA calendar in 2020.

Victor Wembanyama, the 19-year-old French prodigy who is expected to be the first overall pick in this year’s NBA draft – which could belong to the Pistons – sat courtside.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said another game will be held in Paris in 2024, the third of its kind after the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets three years ago.

Pistons guard Killian Hayes, who grew up in France, received a thunderous ovation when they first introduced him, but Chicago started quickly and DeRozan gradually found his groove.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine led the way in scoring with 30, while center Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Derrick Jones Jr. was one of four other Chicago players to reach double figures after a series of spectacular dunks.

Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 25 points and Jalen Duren had a double-double. Duren, the NBA’s youngest player at 19, was delayed in arriving in France because of a misplaced passport.

But it was a difficult night for Hayes as the 21-year-old dished out eight assists but was limited to four points, and had as many fouls.

Chicago (21-24) sits 10th in the Eastern Conference while Detroit is in last place at 12-36. Only the Houston Rockets (10-35) have a worse record.