PORTLAND, Ore. — The Chicago Bulls suffered another setback as forward Patrick Williams missed Sunday’s 104-96 win over the Portland Trail Blazers due to a left foot injury and will be wearing a walking boot until he returns to Chicago as a precaution.
Last week, Williams underwent an assessment in Los Angeles, but a full evaluation of his condition and recovery timeline will only happen after the Bulls return to Chicago later this week.
Williams has been dealing with discomfort and pain in his left foot for a while, and it became worse during Thursday’s game against the Lakers, leading to the assessment in California.
Williams initially hesitated about wearing the walking boot due to its appearance, but he was convinced of its benefits in reducing the load on his foot for a few days.
Earlier in the season, Williams missed three games because of a right ankle injury. He was hopeful that this latest injury wouldn't keep him out for long, but coach Billy Donovan cautioned that the outlook will remain uncertain until Williams undergoes a full evaluation.
The Bulls were already struggling with player availability due to the prolonged absences of Torrey Craig and Zach LaVine. Williams returned to the starting lineup to compensate for these absences and has been averaging 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Bothered by missing his fourth game of the season, Williams, who played all 82 games last season, plus both games in the play-in tournament, expressed frustration and emphasized the importance of routine work, maintenance, and luck in staying healthy. Here are four other things we learned from the game.
1. Julian Phillips stepped up due to injury.
The stage was set for Phillips to make an impact, and the rookie delivered one of his best performances as a Bull.
Before the game, Donovan instructed Phillips to take on some of Williams’ playing time. While Ayo Dosunmu joined the starting lineup, Phillips played 24 minutes as a substitute.
Phillips seized the opportunity with the confidence he has gained throughout the season, making a significant block on Malcolm Brogdon in the first quarter.
Phillips ended with 11 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a block.
2. A strong start — and finish — from Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu set the tone from the onset, grabbing the ball and swiftly moving down the court for a dunk. He continued this momentum, scoring eight points in the first quarter to lead the Bulls.
Dosunmu didn’t score again until 20.5 seconds were left in the game, when he made a 3-point shot to put the Bulls up 102-96. He ended with 11 points, five rebounds, three rejections, and three assists.
3. The Blazers were strong at the free-throw line.
The Bulls outscored the Blazers in the paint (52-40), on the fast break (15-4), and even from the 3-point range (24-18) despite shooting 25% behind the arc. But the one place they couldn’t beat the Blazers was from the free-throw line.
The Blazers made 26 of 29 free throws while the Bulls made 12 of 17.
DeMar DeRozan
did not receive a free throw from a personal foul until the last 90 seconds, although he did take one free throw for a technical foul earlier in the fourth quarter.
4. A road trip with losses. The Bulls came back from the three-game trip
with one win after losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. At 22-25, they remain ninth in the Eastern Conference, which puts them in play-in tournament position.
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Chicago Bulls suffered another blow on the injury report this weekend as forward Patrick Williams sat out Sunday’ s 104-96 win over the Portland Trail Blazers— and will be in a walking boot until he returns to Chicago as a preventive measure for a left foot injury. Williams underwent an evaluation in Los Angeles last week. It was only preliminary; his… three-game trip with one win after losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. At 22-25, they remain ninth in the Eastern Conference, which places them in play-in tournament position.
()
