THE STADIUM CREW has already begun to disassemble the United Center floor, turning the arena from a basketball court to a hockey rink following the Chicago Bulls' victory over the Orlando Magic. It's Jan. 3, and as they stack the courtside seats, remove the scorer's table and line the outside of the stands with hockey boards, DeMar DeRozan stands alone at the free throw line 30 minutes after the buzzer.
He's stewing. "S---," he yells, his voice echoing off the walls of the arena. Another miss.
DeRozan, who is shooting better than 85% from the line on the season, had an uncharacteristically poor night, finishing 7-for-13 and missing 4 of his 9 free throws in the second half, including three in the final 30 seconds.