Drake’s clutch double-team helps Raptors force a critical turnover
Few NBA fans are as committed to their teams as Drake, the Toronto Raptors’ global ambassador and unofficial secondary mascot. The multi-talented musical artist and performer does not only rep the Raps on stage or at major NBA events, but also as a courtside fan doing his part to cheer on the squad. It’s pretty cool to see.
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A key play late in Monday’s home game indicates that Drake is no longer content merely to support the team — he now wants to make a direct impact on the court. With 25 seconds on the clock and the Raptors down 106-103 following split free throws from Kyle Lowry, Bulls wing Justin Holiday attempted to inbound the ball following a 20-second timeout. The stoppage put him right in front of Drake near the Raptors’ bench, and he responded by joining Patrick Patterson for a stifling double-team:
OK, fine, maybe Drake wasn’t directly responsible for a somewhat inexperienced player failing to get the ball in against a motivated defense. But it’s easy to imagine why someone would be distracted by a musical superstar muttering in his ear.
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Maybe Drake even has a future on the bench:
Unfortunately for Drake, the Raptors did not ride his defensive assist to a victory. DeMar DeRozan scored on the next possession to cut the margin to one point, but the Bulls hit enough free throws to force the hosts into a difficult spot. Toronto got a chance to tie or win late when Jimmy Butler missed the first of two with five seconds on the clock, but he made up for it with an excellent defensive play on DeRozan on the game’s last possession:
That strip cinched an impressive 109-107 road victory for Chicago, now in a virtual tie with the Detroit Pistons for the last playoff spot in the East. (The Bulls are technically in eighth by percentage points.) Doug McDermott starred off the bench with 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field, presumably because his body has sensed the beginning of March Madness. Lowry and DeRozan combined for 60 points in the loss.
Drake finished with no points in zero minutes.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
