Patrick Beverley makes his presence felt in his Chicago Bulls debut — a 131-87 rout of the Brooklyn Nets: ‘We played the right way’

In the opening two minutes of Friday’s victory against the Brooklyn Nets, Patrick Beverley introduced himself to Chicago Bulls fans in signature style — flying out of bounds, one hand in the air, crashing onto the laps of several unsuspecting courtside fans as he doggedly attempted to swat away a 3-pointer.

That accidental crash encompassed the impact Beverley promised to make: a defensive grit and nonstop effort that the Bulls have sorely needed throughout the season.

In turn, the Bulls welcomed Beverley home with a 131-87 win, thoroughly crushing their Eastern Conference opponent to snap a six-game losing streak.

Beverley said he didn’t allow himself to play up the excitement in the moments before tipoff. But after the game he soaked in the satisfaction of his homecoming.

“I just felt like we played the right way today,” Beverley said.

Beverley’s formal introduction to United Center fans actually came several minutes earlier as he joined the starting lineup for his Bulls debut, the iconic trill of “Sirius” by the the Alan Parsons Project underscoring the rumble of Tim Sinclair announcing Beverley’s name after two words: “From Chicago ... ”

That phrase years ago was reserved for Derrick Rose, then last season Ayo Dosunmu. As Beverley coolly jogged onto the court to cheers from Bulls fans, he joined a select group of Chicago natives to bear their hometown jersey.

The game that followed was stuffed with highs and very few lows for the Bulls. Zach LaVine scored 32 points as the Bulls racked up a 50-point lead at one point and finished with 56.8% shooting. The Bulls defensively smothered the Nets, who shot only 37% from the floor and 27.3% from 3-point range. The bench scored 57 points as the starters sat out almost the entire fourth quarter.

But Beverley’s debut remained in the spotlight as he immediately assumed a starting role for the Bulls.

He said he wasn’t surprised to be named a starter, replacing Dosunmu in a small lineup alongside Alex Caruso. And while Billy Donovan afterward said Beverley’s position as a starter isn’t necessarily permanent, the coach also emphasized the veteran guard’s immediate impact.

“I just thought our team needed a jolt,” Donovan said.

DeRozan said one thing stood out the most about Beverley: “How vocal he is. Consistently aggressive, nonstop, every single play, every single timeout. He don’t stop. He don’t stop.”

This has been Beverley’s reputation around the league for years. But his new team emphasized that he conveys himself with a buoyancy that keeps him from overwhelming or admonishing his teammates.

“His talk — it’s uplifting,” Donovan said. “It’s inspiring, it’s good, it’s positive. There’s not negativity. If he’s getting on players at all — if you want to use that word — it’s lifting them up.”

Beyond his defense, Beverley credited his communication as the key to his game.

“I believe communication is the biggest thing to being human,” said Beverley, who finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes. “You’re in a relationship, marriage, whatever the case may be — no communication, your wife will get mad. You got a friend, you feel some type of ways — no communication, your friend gets mad. So it’s the same thing in basketball. Communication helps you get organized, helps you stay together, so it comes natural.”

For Beverley, Friday’s game was the culmination of a choice that ultimately didn’t take require overthinking.

Beverley took the All-Star break to visit France with his wife and took the initial call from Donovan while they were at the Eiffel Tower. After a 20-minute conversation, Beverley said his next steps felt simple: “Easy decision.”

In return, Beverley promised to bring intensity to the Bulls, and he delivered in his debut.

“He’s wound up all the time — and I say that very positively,” Donovan said. “Energy is always good, because to me, that’s a choice. You have a chance to make that choice every day and that’s the choice he makes every day.”

Now the challenge will be repetition.

The Bulls face the Washington Wizards on Sunday and the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday — the two teams they need to leapfrog to secure a position in the play-in tournament.