Why Beverley’s leadership on the Bulls is undeniable originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Early in the Chicago Bulls’ 113-99 victory over the Miami Heat Saturday night, which, coupled with losses by the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards, nudged the Bulls 1 ½ games ahead in the 10th seed, Patrick Beverley made two significant hustle plays on the same possession.
First, Beverley sprawled full-out to save a loose ball from going out-of-bounds. Then, he drew a foul from Tyler Herro after rising high for an offensive rebound.
The United Center roared its approval.
“It’s electrifying, especially at home. It gets the crowd going,” DeMar DeRozan said of the sequence. “You gotta feed off that when you see a guy sacrificing himself for big plays and to save a possession. It carries over from there.”
But lest one think Beverley is merely a hustle guy and defensive-minded player, how does a season-high five 3-pointers sound?
With the Heat sending consistent traps at DeRozan and Zach LaVIne, Beverley scored 17 points. That included one stretch of 11 straight second-quarter points in which Beverley egged on the crowd, which, again, roared its approval.
“Just having fun, getting lost in basketball. Just like you guys do when you’re up at night, writing a story. You got your little headphones on. You catch the vibe and get lost in your craft,” Beverley humorously said, referencing reporters. “I’m fortunate to play with DeMar and Zach. No one person can guard them so you gotta take away something and I guess it’s PatBev. I like it that way.”
Beverley oozes confidence and leadership. And his impact has been undeniable since the hometown product joined the Bulls, who are 7-4 since his arrival.
“Should be 9-2,” Beverley said. “I think the team that really beat us is Phoenix—and Toronto. We got to be better.”
Earlier, when asked about the Heat trimming the Bulls’ 27-point lead to 3 points just over midway through the fourth quarter, Beverley flashed his leadership skills again.
Story continues
“Any adversity is good,” he said. “It will help us throughout the playoffs.”
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/patrick-beverleys-leadership-impact-bulls-034825221.html?src=rss
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2023-03-19 03:48:25
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