The moment never bothers DeMar DeRozan. He relishes the chance to drown out the noise and do something special.
The bigger the stage, the more he welcomes it. It is what drives him to be the player he is, and in the five most important games of this unprecedented playoff run by the Toronto Raptors, he has proven that to be true.
In Game 3 of the conference final against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in Games 5 and 7 of the semifinal against the Miami Heat, and Games 5 and 7 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers, the longest-serving Raptor has dominated, putting up numbers befitting a big-game performer.