In a win-or-go-home NBA play-in tournament game Wednesday night between the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, it was the daughter of Bulls star DeMar DeRozan who stole the show.
Nine-year-old Diar DeRozan sure did her part to help the Bulls pull out a 109-105 win to keep their season alive. She could be heard clearly on the broadcast of the game screeching at the top of her lungs from right behind the basket whenever Toronto attempted a free throw in front of their home crowd. And it clearly distracted the Raptors.
Toronto went a putrid 18-for-36 from the free-throw line. It was the most missed free throws in a winner-take-all playoff or play-in game since the Los Angeles Lakers completely choked at the charity stripe in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, having 19 attempts go awry, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
DeMar DeRozan was surprised to learn of his daughter's shrieks.
"Man, I just seen it. She went viral. Man, I haven't let it soak in yet," DeRozan told reporters, per-league provided video. "I kept hearing something during the game, and then it was one free throw, somebody missed and I looked back and I was like, 'Damn, that's my daughter screaming?' I was just making sure she was alright, though."
DeRozan spent the first nine years of his NBA career playing for the Raptors and remembers his daughter coming to those games. So when she asked to be in attendance Wednesday night, DeRozan couldn't bring himself to reject the plea.
And following the come-from-behind victory, he sure was glad she was there and certainly won't be disciplining her for her actions.
"It's crazy. My daughter called me the other day when she was getting out of school," DeRozan said. "She just said, 'Dad, can I come to the Toronto game?' I remember going to all the Toronto games when she was a kid. I almost said no because she's in school back home. She kept asking. She was just adamant about coming and support. I just said, 'Alright, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.' And I'm glad I did. I owe her some money for sure."
Perhaps Diar DeRozan is Chicago's good-luck charm. So will she make an appearance and implement the same strategy when the Bulls take on the Miami Heat on Friday with the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference up for grabs?
"Na, she's got to go back to school," the elder DeRozan said.
