Twitter Loves Diar DeRozan's Free Throw Screams

Getting loud during free throws is a time-honored basketball tradition. For a player, thousands of people trying to break your concentration can be incredibly daunting. Additionally, the energy is exponential - every missed free throw will only make the crowd louder. At this point, it is simply a part of basketball culture.

But to go viral for screaming at free throws, you need to really stand out. With thousands of other people doing the exact same thing, it's truly a feat for your voice to be heard. However, that's exactly what happened at the crucial Bulls-Raptors Play-In game. And the viral figure in question just happens to be the daughter of one of the players on the court.

In a do-or-die match to stay alive in the NBA playoffs, the Chicago Bulls traveled to Scotiabank Arena to face the Toronto Raptors. The teams finished ninth and tenth in the regular-season standings. As the ninth and tenth-seeded teams, the winner would face the Heat for the last place in the playoffs while the loser would start their offseason. The Bulls were looking to reach the playoffs in back-to-back playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Raptors were looking to do the same for the first time since 2020. It was a vital matchup for two teams coming off mediocre regular seasons.

The Raptors got off to the better start and were up by 11 at halftime. However, they were outscored by 16 in the second half to lose by four, 109-105. What would have helped the Raptors hold onto their lead would have been better free-throw shooting. The Raptors missed a season-high 18 free throws, eventually going 18-36 from the line. Notably, Diar DeRozan, daughter of the Bulls' DeMar DeRozan, was incredibly vocal during every Raptors trip to the line. She is now being credited with being an essential part of the Bulls' win. Her father put up 23 points and 7 rebounds for the Bulls. Zach LaVine led all scorers with 39 points. The Bulls will now face Miami for the East's eight-seed on Friday.

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