By R.L. Bynum
The final games of the NBA regular season can lead to some interesting decisions by teams that produce strange lineups for various reasons. However, it’s also a chance for some players to flourish.
Starting for only the second time this season, Coby White had one of his best nights of the season and Theo Pinson missed a shot in the final minute that would have tied it in one of the oddest games on the final weekend.
White scored 24 points and a season-high 10 field goals in a season-high 42 minutes Friday as the Chicago Bulls won at Dallas 115–112 to eliminate the Mavericks from contention for the Western Conference play-in tournament.
The Bulls (39–42) finish the regular season at home Sunday against Detroit, then visit Toronto in a single-elimination play-in tournament game on Wednesday.
White dished out a season-high 11 assists against only three turnovers for a 22.1 game score, his third-highest this season. His career assists high is 13 on Jan. 10, 2021, against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I thought Coby did a really nice job,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “It was good to see him be aggressive shooting it and get downhill.”
Playing a career-high 31 minutes, Pinson nearly tied the game with 20.4 seconds left on a 28-foot 3-point attempt. Pinson scored eight points, making two of a career-high eight 3-point attempts. It was Pinson’s most playing time since he played 28 minutes on Dec. 29, 2018, for Brooklyn when he scored six points in a loss at Milwaukee.
Reggie Bullock had six points in 34 minutes and was a season-low -27. He hasn’t scored in double figures in the last five games and has done so only twice in the last 11 games.
Both teams played without most of their starters. For Dallas, that included Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood while limiting Luca Dončić to playing in the first quarter. Chicago sat Zach LaVine, DeRozan and Patrick Beverley.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd says team owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison decided to rest most of the regulars.
“It’s not so much waving the white flag,” Kidd said. “It’s decisions sometimes are hard in this business. We’re trying to build a championship team. With this decision, this is maybe a step back. But, hopefully, it leads to going forward.”
Cameron Johnson scored 18 points Friday night in Brooklyn’s 101–94 home win over Orlando to clinch a playoff spot that avoids the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
“It’s cool, but this is more expectations and a lofty goal,” Johnson said. “The real work is about to get underway.”
The Nets (45–36) will enter the playoffs with a better record and seed than last season’s team, even after trading Kevin Durant and Irving while bringing in Johnson and Mikal Bridges.
“Getting to this spot is not always easy. And the team did a good bit of the work before we got here. But this group has been able to solidify it,” Johnson said.
Brooklyn finishes the regular season Sunday at home against Philadelphia, the same team that the Nets will play in a first-round series. The No. 3-seed Sixers will have home-court advantage against the No. 6-seed Nets.
Day’Ron Sharpe had six points and a block in 10 minutes.
After Orlando sat all of its starters and sixth man Cole Anthony the night before, the Magic only sat Paolo Banchero in Friday’s game. Anthony started for the first time since he started three times in October, collecting 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Sacramento, which has its playoff positioning locked up, lost 119–97 at home Friday to Golden State, with Harrison Barnes scoring 13 points.
The Kings will be the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and have home-court advantage in the first round against the No. 6 seed (either the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State, New Orleans or Minnesota).
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
101–84 Friday loss at Brooklyn — Started; 30 minutes, 14 points, 6–16 FG, 2–6 3FG, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, +1, 9.5 game score
Season statistics — 60 games, 13.0 points, 45.4 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 89.4 FT%, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists
Final game of season — 1 p.m. Sunday at Miami
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
119–97 Friday loss vs. Golden State — Started; 29 minutes, 13 points, 5–9 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, -25, 12.4 game score
Season statistics — 81 games, 15.0 points, 47.1 FG%, 36.7 3FG%, 84.7 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Final game of regular season — 3:30 Sunday at Denver
First round of playoffs — No. 3 seed against No. 6-seed (Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State, New Orleans or Minnesota)
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 32 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
115–112 Friday loss vs. Chicago — Started; 34 minutes, 6 points, 2–5 FG, 2–5 3FG, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 foul, -27 (season-low), 6.7 game score
Season statistics — 78 games, 7.2 points, 40.9 FG%, 38.0 3P%, 70.3 FT%, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Final game of season — 3:30 Sunday vs. San Antonio
Danny Green, Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Age 35 | 6–6, 205 | 13th NBA season | UNC 2005–09 (4 seasons)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 10 games, 4.8 points, 45.9 FG%, 48.1 3FG%, 1–1 FT, 1.0 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist
Final regular-season game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Charlotte
First round of playoffs — No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed New York
Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210 | fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
101–84 Friday win vs. Orlando — Started; 32 minutes, 18 points, 7–15 FG, 1–4 3FG, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 turnover, +12, 16.7 game score
Season statistics — 42 games, 15.5 points, 47.0 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 84.28 FT%, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Final regular-season game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Philadelphia
First round of playoffs — No. 6 seed vs. No. 2-seed Philadelphia
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 74 games, 9.2 points, 72.0 FG%, 1–4 3FG, 51.6 FT%, 8.4 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist, 2.2 blocks
Final games of season — 3:30 Saturday vs. Denver; 3:30 Sunday at Los Angeles Lakers
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 23 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 54 games, 6.6 points, 44.2 FG%, 36.7 3P%, 71.7 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Final games of season — 4 p.m. Saturday at Los Angeles Clippers; 3:30 Sunday vs. Golden State
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
115–112 Friday loss vs. Chicago — 31 minutes (season-high), 8 points, 3–10 FG, 2–8 3FG (career-high attempts), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, +4, 3.8 game score
Season statistics — 39 games, 1.8 points, 32.4 FG%, 32.7 3P%, 81.8 FT, 1.1 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Final game of season — 3:30 Sunday vs. San Antonio
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
101–84 Friday win vs. Orlando — 10 minutes, 6 points, 2–2 FG, 2–2 FT, 1 block, 1 foul, plus/minus of 0, 5.7 game score
Season NBA statistics — 47 games, 4.7 points, 55.2 FG%, 6–11 3FG, 63.0 FT%, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 of an assist, 0.6 of a block
Season G League statistics — 14 games, 16.3 points, 64.4 2PFG%, 21.1 3FG%, 57.1 FT%, 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks, 12 double-doubles
Final regular-season game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Philadelphia
First round of playoffs — No. 6 seed vs. No. 2-seed Philadelphia
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 23 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
115–112 Friday win at Dallas — Started; 42 minutes (season-high), 24 points, 10(season-high)–17 (tied season-high) FG, 2–6 3FG, 7 rebounds, 11 assists (season-high), 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, +16, 22.1 game score
Season statistics — 73 games, 9.7 points, 44.2 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 87.1 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Final regular-season game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Detroit
Play-in tournament game — 7 p.m. or 7:30 Wednesday at Toronto, ESPN
Bradley free agent
On Feb. 21, Chicago waived Tony Bradley. His season statistics: 12 games, 33 minutes, 19 points, 6–12 FG, 3–5 3FG, 4–4 FT, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
Westchester’s G League season over
Season statistics — 37 games, 13.6 points, 62.3 2P FGP%, 0–20 3P, 59.5 FT%, 11.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 of a block, 24 double-doubles
Justin Jackson, Texas Legends forward
Age 28 | 6–8, 220 | Sixth pro season | UNC 2014–27 (3 seasons)
Texas’ G League season over
Season G League statistics — 14 games, 21.1 points, 44.2 FG%, 42.2 3FG%, 62.1 FT%, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Season NBA statistics (with Boston) — 23 games, 107 minutes, 20 points, 7–27 FG, 5–20 3FG, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Get an explanation of the game score metric here. Michael Jordan produced the all-time-high game score of 64.6 on March 28, 1990, in the Chicago Bulls’ 117–113 overtime win at Cleveland. Jordan had 69 points on 23 of 37 shooting (2 of 6 from 3-point range), made 21 of 23 free-throw attempts and collected 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block.
Photo via @chicagobulls
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