DeMar DeRozan has no doubt Grayson Allen's "excessive hit" was a dirty play

Had it been anyone else, DeMar DeRozan probably would've kept his cool. But once the 5x All-Star realized it was Grayson Allen's elbow that hit him in the back, he couldn't help but react.

Allen vs. DeRozan

Midway through the third quarter, Allen bumped into DeRozan after a push by Patrick Williams. The Milwaukee Bucks' guard caught DeMar with his arm, sending the 33-year-old to the floor. The two then engaged in a heated exchange and had to be separated.

After a lengthy review, the refs decided that the contact between the two wasn't intentional. But while Allen wasn't penalized for his action, DeMar did pick up a technical for a back-and-forth with Bobby Portis Jr. that happened minute after the incident.

“It’s all part of the game,” he said. “You love it. You’ve got to love moments like that. That’s the aggressive sport that we play in. I grew up playing and talking trash sunup to sundown.”

Here's a replay. From jump, Allen appears to be saying to DeRozan it wasn't intentional and that he was pushed into him. But he won't get benefit of doubt from many. pic.twitter.com/jF4waV2LZT
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 29, 2022

Williams was called for a foul on the play, and Allen was sent to the line where the United Center showered him with boos. After all, their hatred towards the 27-year-old goes back to last season when Grayson's flagrant foul led to Alex Caruso breaking his wrist.

That incident is still engraved in the memory of every Bulls fan. That's why everyone in attendance had no doubt Allen's elbow to DeRozan's back was a dirty play.

It was a dirty play

However, Allen himself saw it differently.

"Exactly what the video showed," the Bucks' point guard said when asked about what happened on the play. "I went to set a screen and got bumped into DeMar. When you go to get bumped into somebody, you put your arm out to stop yourself. I didn't try to run him over."

Allen's explanation may as well be true. However, it's his track record that casts a shadow of doubt on his actions. That alone, according to DeRozan, is the reason the Bulls forward went at him.

"If it was Boban (Marjanović), I wouldn't have did nothing. But who knows?" DeMar said. "I didn't know if it was on purpose or what happened. I just felt a hit. That's all it was."

Zach LaVine also stood in DeRozan's defense.

"We know his (Allen's) track record," the Bulls star said. "Pat got the foul, but DeMar got elbowed in the back of the head. It is what it is. We made up for it with a big win. DeMar responded the right way. The next 20 minutes, you saw what happened.”

DeRozan proceeded to lead Chicago to a huge fourth-quarter comeback. The Bulls' star finished the game with team-high 42 points, ten of which he scored during overtime. Allen had 13 for Milwaukee on 4-of-16 from the field.