DeMar DeRozan’s daughter won’t be screaming at Heat game. ‘She’s gotta go back to school’

One of the stars from Wednesday’s NBA play-in game wasn’t on the court.

Her name is Diar DeRozan, 9-year-old daughter of Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan. And her role in the Bulls’ 109-105 road victory over the Toronto Raptors was present every time a Raptors player stepped up to the free-throw line.

Diar’s contribution was her screams, audibly heard on ESPN’s broadcast, from the stands as a distraction method for Raptor players shooting free throws. The Raptors shot 18 of 36 (50 percent) in the loss.

“You know, it’s crazy. My daughter called me the other day when she was getting out of school and she just said, ‘Dad, can I come to the Toronto game? I remember going to all the Toronto games’ when she was a kid,” DeMar DeRozan said. “I almost said no because she in school back home. She kept asking. She was adamant about coming to support, and I just said that you can miss one day of school and come to a game. I’m glad I did. I owe her some money for sure.”

But don’t worry Heat fans, DeMar DeRozan confirmed after the win that his daughter won’t be attending Friday’s game in Miami with the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs at stake.

“No, she gotta go back to school,” DeRozan said.

The Heat host the Bulls at 7 p.m. Friday with the winner facing the Milwaukee Bucks, the top seed in the Eastern Conference.