The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to three games following Monday’s home victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The win places the team back into play-in contention as the tenth-ranked squad in the Eastern Conference.
A standout performance from forward Patrick Williams as he finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls’ third-year player has recently shown improvement on the court as he battled on the glass all night. The exceptional play was lost on his head coach as Billy Donovan praised his performance during his post-game press conference with reporters.
“He’s really explosive with two feet. And when he gets in and makes those kinds of efforts to get on the backboard, he really is an elite rebounder, and we need him to do that. I think he ended up with whatever it was, 18 points and 10 rebounds, but he’s a guy that’s got to try to go get double-figure rebounds for us,” said Donovan. “I thought there were some opportunities for him offensively to drive it a little bit more. Where he may be settled a little bit, I think it’ll get better there. But overall, you can see his growth and his improvement over the course of the season.”
Williams was a lottery pick during the 2020 NBA draft after only one year at Florida State. He has progressed each year in adjusting to the pro-level speed and is committed to living up to his coach’s expectations as he responded to reporters after the game.
“Not necessarily talked about. But I think he’s pretty clear. That I can rebound the ball. I agree with him,” Williams said. “In terms of, I gotta be more consistent rebounds. I think we’re really good. When any of our wings grab a rebound, we can get up quicker. So I tell people, just put that on myself, accept the challenge.”
Williams will be essential to the Bulls’ success moving forward, as the team wants to finish the season’s first half on a high note.
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