After the Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in the NBA Play-In Tournament, DeMar DeRozan praised his daughter Diar and her free throw “defense”. “It went viral,” DeRozan said after the game. Here’s why:
- The Raptors missed 18 of 36 free throw attempts during Wednesday’s game in Toronto.
- Whenever the Raptors went to the line, Diar could be heard screaming all over the arena.
- OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet—who shot 84, 77, and 90 percent from the line, respectively, during the year—combined to go down on 14 free throws.
what are they saying
“I kept hearing something during the game,” DeRozan told reporters.
“There was one free throw, someone fouled and I looked back and I was like damn, that’s my daughter screaming? He said, laughing.
DeRozan said Dillar missed school to attend a game Wednesday night in Toronto.
“I said you could miss school one day and come to a game… I’m glad I did.”
background story
The Raptors led by 19 points (66-47) with 9:09 to go in the third quarter. The Bulls outscored the Raptors 37-24 in the fourth quarter, on their way to overcoming a 19-point deficit. Zach LaVine led the Bulls in scoring with 39 points, while DeRozan scored 23.
The Bulls will face the Miami Heat on Friday, with a chance to qualify for the NBA Playoffs, while Toronto has been eliminated from postseason competition.
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(Photo: Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)
