The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz were in a close game once more in Salt Lake City, with the former holding on for dear life. With ten seconds remaining and up just one point, 117-116, veteran wingman DeMar DeRozan was hard-blocked by Jazz guard Collin Sexton.
A little altercation involving Jazz forward Jason Collins, Bulls assistant Chris Fleming, and injured forward Torrey Craig was started by the foul. After the three received technical fouls, Jordan Clarkson of Utah scored a free shot to tie the score.
Luckily for the Bulls, DeRozan calmly made both of his free throws, which would ultimately result in the game-winning basket.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said after the game that the players needed to learn how to control their emotions, particularly when the game was close.
Things became worse
Craig, who is still out due to a sprained knee, was defending DeRozan, but his response to Sexton’s foul complicated a play that should have been limited to simple physical contact. Instead, it devolved into a combative conversation between the coaches and players that might have been disastrous for the Bulls. In the final possession of the game, Sexton came dangerously close to making a game-winning three-point shot from the corner. Donovan said,
“I saw DeMar get fouled and I don’t know if he was grabbing his face or holding his face,”
“Torrey said something, came over. I think Chris Fleming was trying to hold everybody off to kind of separate. And then from there, it just kind of escalated and I stepped in to try to break it up a little bit.”
“We have to be better in those moments. Not only did we lose a point on a technical foul, we also iced our free-throw shooter. And I give DeMar a lot of credit for being mentally tough enough. I understand the emotion and intensity of games. But whether it’s complaining or frustrated, it’s not helping anything. We gotta do a better job,”
Pushing and shoving near Bulls bench. pic.twitter.com/YM0dE3xoja
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) March 7, 2024
