Kofi Inkoom
Ahead of the Toronto Raptors matchup, Chicago Bulls’ and former Raptors power forward, DeMar DeRozan, has an enticing offer for fans, promising a rebound after their disappointing 124-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their home opener.
DeRozan expressed his dissatisfaction with the lackluster effort in that game, vowing that they won’t allow a repeat, at least in terms of their determination and execution.
He emphasized the importance of their response and the mindset they bring to the next game, assuring that Friday’s performance will be markedly different.
“Getting our (butt) kicked at (the) home opener, that’s a disrespect to us, disrespect to our fans. I just know we won’t let that happen again, at least not from an effort standpoint. We probably will have more games where we won’t make shots. It may not be our night. But effort-wise, we could’ve done a lot better. We could’ve executed better,” DeMar DeRozan said.
“My takeaway is how we respond. You can sit up there and have a million conversations about something. But it’s about how you respond and the mindset that I know how everybody came in here (to practice) with, how they feel.That’s how I know for a fact (Friday) will not be like (Wednesday). I can guarantee you that,” DeMar DeRozan concluded.
On Wednesday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder dazzled with 31 points and 10 assists, while Oklahoma City dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bulls 33-22.
The tension escalated when Bulls head coach Billy Donovan had a heated exchange with center Nikola Vucevic in the third quarter, generating buzz on social media.
Following the loss, the Bulls held a players-only meeting, with Vucevic indicating that they needed to address certain issues. Now unified, they are poised to put their best foot forward against the Raptors on Friday.
Going up against the Raptors, who secured a victory in their season opener and have a strong defensive record, presents a significant challenge for the Bulls, especially as they aim to bounce back from their 0-1 start in the 2023-24 NBA season.