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The Raptors missed 18 free throw to end their season. Diar DeRozans shrieking did that.

Everyone watching the Toronto Raptors vs. the Chicago Bulls in the 2023 NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night noticed the same thing early in the game. It was impossible not to notice it. Whenever the Raptors stepped to the foul line, a woman started loudly shrieking as they attempted their free throws.

The person in question did not stop the making the high-pitched, piercing cry all night. If the Raptors shot a free throw, she was doing her best to distract them. It was working: even as Toronto built a 19-point lead against Chicago in the elimination game, the Raps were missing a bunch of the line.

ESPN eventually identified the shrieker as Diar DeRozan, the young daughter of Bulls star DeMar DeRozan. Eventually, all those missed free throws caught up to the Raptors and ended their season.

The Bulls beat Toronto, 109-105, in the play-in game. Torontos season is over, and it happened in large part because they shot 18-of-36 from the free throw line. Diar DeRozan legitimately made a huge contribution to her dads team winning a knockout game.

Heres the video of ESPN finally identifying the screamer as DeRozans daughter.

Heres Diar forcing the Raptors into one of their 18 misses on the night.

Toronto had a chance to tie the game late when Pascal Siakam stepped to the line for three free throws with the Raptors down three. There was only one thing standing in his way: a shrieking Diar DeRozan.

Siakam missed.

She really put in a full 48 minute performance. She was screaming to distract the Raptors at the foul line from the start of the game to the very end of it.

The Raptors made 78.4 percent of their free throws on the year as a team. In their biggest game of the season, they shot 50 percent from the foul line and missed 18 free throws. Unbelievable.

The context here makes the whole story even better. According to one source, Diar DeRozan was born in May 2013, which means shes about to turn 10. In 2013, her father DeMar was the star player for the Raptors. DeRozan turned the Raptors into a winning team they won 50+ games three seasons in a row, and made one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals but they could never breakthrough to the Finals.

Heres a photo of DeMar and Diar during their Toronto years together:

Toronto then traded DeRozan to San Antonio in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors famously won the championship the very next year, and then Leonard left for LA.

DeRozan has always been very open about his struggles with mental health, and has admitted how hard that trade was for him. Toronto loves DeMar and DeMar loves Toronto, but getting traded from the team that drafted him and watching them win a title the next season with his replacement was the low point of his professional career.

For one night, DeRozans daughter helped him get some revenge and end the Raptors season.

Next up, the Bulls play the Miami Heat, and the winner gets the No. 8 seed in the NBA Playoffs which means a first round matchup with the mighty Milwaukee Bucks. For now, DeMar says Diar cant come to the game because she has to be in school.

Well see if that changes.

The Bulls season would be over if not for Diar DeRozans elite screaming ability. The Bulls know who their real MVP is:

By the way, Zach LaVine scored 39 points in the Bulls win in what was the best game of his career. Thats great, but for one night, Diar DeRozan stole the show.

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Read the original here:
DeMar DeRozans screaming daughter was the key to Bulls play-in victory vs. Raptors - SB Nation

April 11, 2023 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) - Milwaukee Wave News Release

After wrapping the regular season over a week ago, the 7-time champion Milwaukee Wave had to wait to see would they would play in the opening round of the Major Arena Soccer League Ron Newman Cup Playoffs; they got that answer Monday night as Utica City FC forced overtime and defeated the Kansas City Comets 6-5.

"That was an exciting game last night," said Milwaukee Wave Head Coach Giuliano Oliviero. "Utica has been, outside of San Diego, the hottest team in the MASL the second half the season."

Milwaukee and Utica met three times during the regular season with the Wave winning the season series 2-1.

Away vs. Home Score Date

Milwaukee vs Utica 5 - 7 Feb 19

Utica vs Milwaukee 3 - 5 Feb 5

Utica vs Milwaukee 7 - 9 Dec 31

Milwaukee's Ian Bennett led the Wave during the regular season with 45 points, 35 points and 10 assists. Utica's Gordy Gurson led City FC during the regular season with 41 points, 22 goals, 19 assists.

"You look at us and Utica and there are some similarities amongst the teams," added Oliviero. "And then there's Head Coach Hewerton."

Former Milwaukee Wave champion and now Utica City FC Head Coach Hewerton Moreira won three championships during his seven seasons with the Wave. He also won numerous individual awards and was a three-time all-star.

"Hewerton has done a great job getting Utica into the postseason and now he's coming home," stated Oliviero. "This is where he spent most of his career and he always wants to do well in Milwaukee whether it be a postseason, regular season, pre-season game; that part of it I don't think matters. He relishes the opportunity to play and try to beat the Wave."

Game One: Milwaukee Wave vs Utica City FC

Thursday, April 13, 6:05pm CT from UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

Tickets are on sale now atMilwaukeeWave.comor at the Box Office prior to the game.

Game Two: Milwaukee Wave at Utica City FC

Sunday, April 16, 2:05pm CT from Adirondack Bank Center.

Watch the game LIVE! and for FREE! on Twitch.

Game Three: (Knockout Game) *if necessary. If the playoff series is tied after the 2nd game, there will be an additional knockout game which will be treated as an entirely new game. The 1st period of the knockout game will be a full 15-minute period. New lineups will be submitted just like the start of a new game. If tied after the 1st full 15-minute period, additional overtime periods of 10-minutes sudden victory periods will be played.

"We've worked so hard to get here to the postseason and we want to take care of business in our building, in front of our fans and put the pressure on Utica heading back to upstate New York on Sunday," exclaimed Oliviero. "We know it'll be intense all the way through but we have to rely on our good habits that got us here, we have to play smart and make good decisions. We're ready and looking forward to it!"

Discuss this story on the Major Arena Soccer League message board...

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

See more here:
Wave Takes on Utica in Game One of MASL Eastern Conference ... - OurSports Central

Modified Apr 13, 2023 06:51 GMT

New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson will end his fourth year in the league, having played only 29 games after missing the entire 2021-22 season. The former No. 1 pick has had just one healthy season, which came in his sophomore year during 2020-21. Williamson played 61 of 72 games that season.

Williamson has missed 194 games in his four-year NBA career. Percentage-wise, it's 58.7%. Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a broken foot. This year, he missed eight games due to Covid protocols before he sustained a hamstring strain in the Pelicans' 120-111 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 2nd. He re-aggravated the injury in February, extending his time on the sidelines.

The New Orleans Pelicans went from looking like conference finals contenders to a play-in team in no time following Williamson's injury. They were 23-14 before his injury and finished the year 42-40. Brandon Ingram kept the team afloat, but the team could lock the ninth place in the Western Conference at best.

Zion Williamson was recently cleared for on-court activities. However, the former Duke prospect continued to be on the sidelines due to mental hurdles related to returning from an injury. Here's what Williamson said about this (via ESPN):

He added:

Zion Williamson would've returned to the court after a three-month absence, and doing that in a knockout game wouldn't have been ideal for the New Orleans Pelicans. They had their rhythm going without him after winning nine of their last 12 regular-season games entering the postseason.

The New Orleans Pelicans' season came to an end on Wednesday after they suffered a 123-118 home loss in the ninth vs. 10th play-in game against the OKC Thunder. The Pelicans blew a nine-point advantage and failed to close out the game.

It's fair to say the story could've been different if they had Zion Williamson in the lineup with some quality reps before this contest. The Pelicans were also in contention to finish as the fifth, sixth, or seventh seed had they won their season finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, New Orleans will have to wait another year to see their full potential, with Zion Williamson 100% healthy. They looked poised to make a deep run, with Williamson playing at an MVP-caliber level, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 60.8% shooting, including 36.8% from deep.

See the rest here:
What happened to Zion Williamson? All-Star forward wants to be fit 'mentally' before playing again - Sportskeeda

By Eurohoops team/info@eurohoops.net

PrometeySlobozhanske became the first team to advance to the 2023 EuroCup quarterfinals by beating Veolia Hamburg Towers 87 79 in a knockout game for the eighthfinals. The Ukrainian side will face the winner of the Promitheas Patras JL Bourg en Bresse clash.

Illia Sydorov scored a career-high 21 points to lead Prometey, including nine in the fourth period and after the Towers erased a 16-point deficit to make it 69 68. In a moment when his team seemed unable to make plays, Sydorov nailed two triples and pulled off a 3-point play for the 78-71 with 4:44 to play.

DJ Stephens added five points of his own but the Towers didnt give up and approached 83 79. After committing the turnover that allowed Hamburg to make it a 4-point game, Gian Clavell instantly stole the ball to dunk in transition and then scored for the 87- 79 to seal the win for his team.

Yoelli Childs (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Harrison Cleary (19 points) stood out from the Towers. The latter had 10 of his points during the 0-15 run of his team after trailing 69 53 late in the third period.

Stephens finished with 15 points plus nine rebounds for Prometey. Ondrej Balvin added 14 points and seven boards while Clavell scored 14.

Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

Originally posted here:
Prometey overcomes Hamburg Towers to move to quarterfinals - Eurohoops

Some brilliant games are in store in the Mid Tipperary senior hurling championship this year as the quarter final draws mean some of the best teams in Tipperary will knock each other out of the competition at the first hurdle. Upperchurch Drombane fared best in the draws with a bye straight into the semi final stage of the competition.

The quarter final draws see 2021 county champions Loughmore Castleiney taking on neighbouring parish Drom Inch. Bolstered by the Tipp senior hurling captain Noel McGrath as well as his brothers Brian and John, Loughmore will once again be favourites in many peoples eyes to win the division. They play a rejuvenated Drom Inch side that will have two important leaders in Seamus Callanan and John Campion. The game is sure to be decided in the last five minutes and it is one that will draw the crowds from across the county.

The town sides battle each other in the second quarter final with reigning champions JK Brackens looking to freetaker Lyndon Fairbrother and talisman Paddy Cadell as well as his younger brother Conor to drive them to back the back titles. The boys from Cardens wild domain will have their work cut out against the Padraic Maher managed Sarsfields that will boast the Stakelum brothers as well as Paddy Creedon and Ronan Maher in their ranks. Another mouthwatering tussle is in store there.

Moycarkey Borris under Kilkenny native Eddie Brennan will be many peoples dark horses for the division. Rhys Shelly is one of the best goalkeepers in the country and will be a big influence on their style of play this year with his pin point puckouts. A big crowd will travel to see them take on the Bryan O'Mara and Cathal Barrett led Holycross who have many quality players that are on the verge of stepping up to senior hurling following a number of successful teams at teenage age grades.

All three quarter finals will be close and Upperchurch will watch on from the wings to see who will emerge.

In the Premier Intermediate championship Gortnahoe will be favourites to make the grade and they play Moyne in their first knockout game while the Thurles Sarsfields second team will take on the Cian O'Dwyer led Clonakenny who have really stepped up well through the grades in recent years. No easy games at all in the division. The draws in full are below:

Mid Championship Draws:

Senior QF's:Loughmore Castleiney v Drom InchJK Brackens v Thurles SarsfieldsMoycarkey Borris v Holycross BallycahillUpperchurch bye

Premier Intermediate SF's:Gortnahoe Glengoole v Moyne TempletuohyThurles Sarsfields v Clonakenny

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Link:
HURLING: Mid Tipperary hurling championship draws throw up ... - Tipperary Live