DeMar DeRozan defended Nikola Vucevic for missing two free throws in the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Orlando Magic — their fourth defeat in a row. Chicago was pipped 108-107 at home and now puts them 12th in the East with a 6-10 record.
In what would have turned the game in favor of the Bulls, Vucevic missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds to play and swishing them both would have put his side up by four.
Speaking to the media after the loss, DeRozan felt the loss was more than just the missed attempts from the charity stripe. According to The Athletic’s Daryl Mayberry:
DeRozan defended Nikola Vučević’s two missed free throws late.
“That’s on us,” DeRozan said. “We can’t put it just merely on the free throws.” pic.twitter.com/5cqzhaDcFd
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) November 19, 2022
“That’s on us. We can’t put it just merely on the free throws.”
DeRozan’s 41-point explosion wasn’t enough to get the Bulls over the finish line. His teammate Zach LaVine Had a forgettable outing with just 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
DeMar DeRozan Feels The Bulls’ Big Names Must Do ‘More’
In the aftermath of a bad game, Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan’s move of benching Zach LaVine with 3:43 remaining in the final quarter didn’t sit down too well with the star.
But the former had his reasons to put second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu in play. Speaking to the reporters after the game, he spoke of his decision. Per The Athletic:
“It was just one of those games for me. He didn’t have a great game. Great players, that happens. He cares deeply about the team. But he wasn’t playing well. I just made a decision, and I felt like that group had really worked their way back into the game, and I wanted to give them an opportunity to close it. And certainly, we had every opportunity to do it but weren’t able to do it. But he had a tough night tonight.”
LaVine wasn’t happy with the decision, and while that makes for a different storyline, DeRozan was in agreement with his coach when he demanded more from his major stars.
“He said the right thing. It’s definitely on us. And we’ve got to take on that challenge. We’ve got to be better defensively, offensively. We got to lead that. We’re the older guys in that starting group, and we’ve got to set the tone. So we’ve got to be better on both ends of the floor.”
DeRozan has by far been one of the more consistent performers for the unit, and his crossing 20,000 career points are proof that he’s got what it takes to see the Bulls make that playoff and beyond push. Chicago plays the Boston Celtics next.
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