Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan lost his cool Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
DeRozan was called for a flagrant foul after bumping into Bucks big man Bobby Portis during the Bulls’ 113-97 loss to Milwaukee at United Center in Chicago, Ill.
DeRozan was peeved that Portis glared at him after the Bulls star was knocked down to the ground during their battle for a rebound. The incident happened as the Bulls trailed 80-69 with just over 30 seconds left in the third quarter.
DeMar got heated 😳 pic.twitter.com/PHnGV6Gtim
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) March 2, 2024
During his postgame press conference, DeRozan spoke about the altercation with Portis. The 6-time All-Star suggested that Portis went overboard with his “theatrics” and didn’t properly respect the game.
“He stared at me. That’s all it takes for me,” said DeRozan. “I don’t care who it is. It could be the janitor in the hallway. Look at me a certain type of way. Like, just play basketball. Get the rebound and play. I’ve just never been a player with the extra theatrics.”
The final score may not have been close, but the physicality between both teams could have had viewers believing otherwise.
https://twitter.com/HoopInformatics/status/1763794141266215012
DeRozan, who was linked to multiple teams before the NBA trade deadline, finished with just 12 points on 5/13 shooting — his third-lowest scoring output this season. He also had 9 assists and 4 rebounds.
Portis didn’t fare any better with 11 points on 4/13 shooting off the Bucks’ bench. Bucks star Giannis carried his team with 46 points and 16 rebounds.
