Shout it out: DeRozan’s daughter goes viral in play-in game

TORONTO (AP)— Diar DeRozan wanted to skip a day of school. Her fathergrudgingly went along with the plan.

Turns out,the decision was worth shouting about.

The9-year-old daughter of Chicago guard DeMar DeRozan stole the showat the play-in tournament on Wednesday night withshrieks fromthe stands that went viraland quite possibly played a role inhelping the Bulls defeat the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in an EasternConference elimination game.

Diar DeRozan went viral for screaming duringRaptors free throws tonight.Listen to her dad's reaction 🤣 pic.twitter.com/BirwCtLe30

Herear-splitting shouts would come when the Raptors — her dad’s formerteam — were shooting free throws, and they were loud enough to evenbecome a conversation point during the ESPN broadcast of the game.The Raptors finished 18 of 36 from the line in their season-endingloss.

“My daughtercalled me the other day when she was getting out of school and shejust said, ‘Dad, can I come to the Toronto game?’” DeRozan said. “Iremember her going to all the Toronto games when she was a kid andI almost said no because she’s in school back home. But she keptasking. She was just adamant about coming to support and I said,‘All right, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.’

“I’m glad Idid,” DeRozan said. “I owe her some money for sure.”

The 18-for-36showing was Toronto’s worst of the season from the foul line.

“Not a greatfree throw night for us in general,” Toronto’s Pascal Siakamsaid.

The Bullsadvanced to face Miami on Friday night in a win-or-go-home game,with a chance to make the playoffs and face No. 1 Milwaukee inRound 1 of the East playoffs starting Sunday.

Good news forthe Heat: Diar’s dad said she isn’t going to Miami.

“No,” DeRozansaid. “She’s got to go back to school.”