In their first competitive action in nine months, the Bulls fell to the Rockets 125-104 but Williams looked like he belonged.
It's a long way to Rookie of the Year. Patrick Williams Friday took the first giant step toward that honor as the unofficial Rookie of the Night as the NBA began exhibition game play for the 2020-21 season.
The Bulls top draft pick, preternaturally poised, calm and confident in his first NBA experience, was a rare bright light in a dark opening night for a Bulls team that never led, trailed by at least double digits after the first five minutes and by as much as 32 and lost to the Houston Rockets without James Harden 125-104.