DeRozan's pump fake keys gaudy free throw total vs. C's originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
BOSTON — DeMar DeRozan did know that his career-high for free-throw attempts is 25, which occurred in March 2016 as a member of the Toronto Raptors.
He just didn’t know he came close to eclipsing that on Friday night.
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“I didn’t even know I got there that many times until I looked after the game,” DeRozan said of his 22 attempts against the Boston Celtics. “I was just trying to be aggressive as much as I could.”
DeRozan’s 46-point outburst fell six points shy of his career-high and four points shy of his Chicago Bulls’ best. It also featured him sinking 20 of 22 free throws. Many of the attempts derived from DeRozan’s patented pump fake, a move he has perfected over 14 seasons.
“I don’t just use it to use it. A lot of times, it’s a feel,” DeRozan said. “If I hit a couple shots, then I may use it depending on who’s guarding me. You can kind of feel if a guy is playing you aggressively. It’s just a read.”
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DeRozan’s scoring explosion followed two rare off nights for him, including a nine-point outing in Wednesday’s victory over the Charlotte Hornets that marked his lowest output as a Bull.
Still, the 22 free-throw attempts fell five short of Michael Jordan’s franchise record set on Feb. 26, 1987. They placed him in a tie for seventh all-time in franchise history with Jimmy Butler, Kirk Hinrich and Jordan, who shot 22 free throws multiple times.
“He was just spectacular,” coach Billy Donovan said.
On the one hand, it seems amazing that so many defenders still bite on DeRozan’s pump fake. On the other, it’s really not since DeRozan stands a legitimate 6-foot-6 with a high release on his dead-eye jumper.
“It’s hard because when you’re a defender and you say, ‘Stay down on your feet.’ And every single time he keeps going up and shooting over you, which he does do uncontested, he’s elite at that. So you feel like you have to contest,” Donovan said. “And sometimes you think he’s going to go up and you want to get a hand up and you leave your feet. And he’s smart enough to understand when to shot fake and not to shot fake. He’s been doing it a long time.”
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