The most recent high-profile NBA transaction was Pascal Siakam’s move from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers. During Bruce Brown’s debut, a former Raptor decided to ruin the party: DeMar DeRozan.
The Bulls’ number 11 was responsible for one of the maneuvers at the end of the game that declared the Bulls’ victory by 116 to 110. After faking the shot twice in a row, DeRozan noticed Immanuel Quickley jump on the third “pump fake”. He looked for contact, earned a foul, and made the difference in two possessions. DeRozan finished with 24 points, matching Nikola Vucevic.
Scottie Barnes was the Raptors’ standout player of the night. Scottie was Toronto’s leading scorer in the game, with 31 points, but he was unable to aid his team in the final stretch when he had the opportunity to make the difference by one point by taking two free throws. Barnes converted the first, but the second was short, so DeRozan ran the other way and earned the free kick.
As a result, in Bruce Brown’s first game as a Raptor, the squad loses, suffering for a guy they previously regarded as their idol. DeMar DeRozan was chosen by Toronto in 2009 and played nine years in Canada before being traded for San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. With DeRozan on the Spurs and Kawhi on the Raptors, the Canadians advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the Golden State Warriors.
DeRozan remembered one of his most memorable moments with the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan is known as one of the NBA’s “mid-range kings,” but last season, he went viral for reasons other than basketball.
When the Bulls faced the Raptors in the play-in tournament, they needed a win to stay in the playoff race, and they didn’t expect their best weapon to be sitting in the stands.
Diar DeRozan, DeMar’s daughter, went to the game with her father and was in the stands, close to the court. Diar let out several screams, causing the Raptors players to miss free throws.
