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The Chicago Bulls picked up a big win on Monday night as they took down one of the best teams in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets were in town and they were big favorites on the road against the Bulls, but it was Chicago that came out with the victory. The Nuggets had the lead for much of the game, but the Bulls finally pulled ahead in the third quarter and they never looked back, leaving with a 129-121 win.
One thing that could've contributed to this big win was a lineup change from head coach Billy Donovan. Patrick Williams was put into a new role on Monday night, and it seemed to help him as he ended up finishing with 11 points on 5-12 shooting.
“Patrick Williams praised Billy Donovan’s communication regarding his move to reserve role and said he felt he had more opportunity with second unit,” K.C. Johnson said in a post. “Bench won game for Bulls. 41-10 edge in scoring and 13-0 run to open 4th. Zach LaVine was so happy for Williams in postgame.”
Patrick Williams was certainly a big part of that spark off the bench that the Bulls got. He wants to be a player that can provide whatever is needed at any given moment, and on Monday night, that's exactly what he did.
“I would say yeah, but I wouldn't say that I'm uncomfortable starting,” Williams said after the game, according to a post from Julia Poe. “I just think it's – the second unit needs different things than the first unit, I've always kind of tried to be a player that can fill any gap. I'm not trying to say I'm one thing, I'm trying to be a basketball player. Whatever the game needs, I try to be able to do that. Second unit needs a little bit more scoring, a little bit more offensive identity. I was able to provide that tonight.”
It's not a secret that the Bulls haven't been able to find the perfect role for Williams since he arrived in Chicago. Williams has not met expectations yet, but it was good to see him find some success against the Nuggets. You never know, a move like this could end up going a long way for a player that is trying to find their identity.
“I was kind of excited to play with that second unit and give them a little bit of a boost,” Williams said, according to an article from NBA.com. “That third quarter when the second unit was in, those non-Zach and Vooch minutes trying to give us a lift and help us win games. I don’t think I needed (a game like this). Obviously, it always feels good to have the ball go through the net a couple of times, get in rhythm. That second unit gives more offensive opportunities for me, for Ayo, for Dalen, Stix (Jalen Smith) making big shots. That’s a different approach to the game and with the second unit I feel I benefit.”
The Bulls will have to adjust their lineup once again on Wednesday as Zach LaVine will be out as he expects the birth of his third child. Still, it seems like the Bulls have maybe found something that will work with Patrick Williams going forward, and that would be huge.
