By R.L. Bynum
Coby White shook off a shooting slump with a big night at Madison Square Garden on a week when he eclipsed 4,000 career points.
White had 26 points, eight assists and four rebounds for a 20.4 game score on Wednesday night in Chicago’s 116–100 loss at New York in a game that ABC televised. That came two nights after scoring 14 points and passing 4,000 career points when he missed all five 3-point attempts in a 110–97 loss at Philadelphia.
White made 6 of 9 3-point attempts against the Knicks after going 3 for 31 from outside the arc in the previous five games. In December, he broke the Chicago franchise record by scoring at least three 3-pointers in 14 consecutive games.
In the middle of a four-game road trip, the Bulls have played without center Nikola Vučević (left groin strain) for the last five games and have been without Zach LaVine (foot injury) since late November.
“It is a tough schedule,” White told nba.com after Wednesday’s game, when the Bulls principally played a small lineup. “But in that fourth, I feel like we did not make enough winning plays that we have been normally making; we didn’t make enough shots.
“We were down a couple of guys, and that’s going to happen,” White said. “But good teams figure out a way to win. So we’ve got to figure out ways to win and win those types of games. Right now this is the hand we’re dealt. So we’ve got to come up with ways to make those plays down the stretch and not let fatigue come into play.”
Chicago (15–21) hosts Charlotte at 8 p.m. Friday (Bally Sports Southeast).
Cameron Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe put some good games together, but Brooklyn (15–19) lost the last three games of a four-game road trip.
In Sunday’s 124–108 loss at Oklahoma City, Johnson collected 13 points, two 3-pointers and six rebounds, while Sharpe had three points and two rebounds.
In Tuesday’s 112–85 loss at New Orleans, Johnson put up 17 points, five 3-pointers and five rebounds, while Sharpe had 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Johnson’s best game this week was Wednesday’s 112–101 loss at Houston when he had 15 points, three 3-pointers, six rebounds and five assists for a 13.5 game score. Sharpe had a double-double, his sixth of the season, with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Orlando’s Cole Anthony is another UNC alum going through a tough road trip. The Magic (19–15) has lost the first three games of the four-game trip, and Anthony missed Wednesday’s 138–135 double-overtime loss to Harrison Barnes’ Sacramento Kings with a right quad contusion.
In the first game of the trip, a 112–107 Sunday loss at Phoenix, Anthony had 13 points, two 3-pointers and five rebounds. Tuesday, in a 121–115 loss at Golden State, Anthony had eight points, four rebounds and two assists.
Barnes scored 17 points and four 3-pointers with three rebounds in that double-overtime Wednesday win over the Magic, and played good defense after regulation on former Duke star Paolo Banchero.
In Sacramento’s 123–92 Sunday win at Memphis to finish a four-game road trip, Barnes contributed 11 points, two 3-pointers and two rebounds. In Tuesday’s 111–104 home loss to Charlotte, Barnes had three points in 24 minutes.
Walker Kessler produced his sixth double-double of the season with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks and was +37 with a 13.4 game score in Utah’s 127–90 Monday home win over Dallas.
He followed that up with eight points, eight rebounds and six blocks in Tuesday’s 154–148 overtime home win over Detroit. Kessler has 10 games with at least four blocks.
Reggie Bullock played a season-high 14 minutes in Houston’s 136–113 Monday home win over Detroit. He scored a season-high seven points and had two rebounds and two assists. In Wednesday’s home win over Brooklyn, he played eight scoreless minutes.
After missing Phoenix’s 112–107 Sunday win over Orlando with left knee soreness, Nassir Little didn’t play (coach’s decision) in the Suns’ 109–88 Monday win over Portland, then missed Wednesday’s 131–122 to the Los Angeles Clippers with left knee soreness.
In the G League, Leaky Black, after missing a couple of games due to sickness, had eight points, three rebounds and two assists in Greensboro’s 127–109 Tuesday loss at Motor City.
Pete Nance had seven points, six rebounds and two steals in the Cleveland Charge’s 126–113 Tuesday home loss to the Salt Lake City Stars.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 23 | 6–3, 185 | fourth NBA season | $5,539,771 salary | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
113–88 Sunday win vs. Milwaukee — 17 minutes, 13 points, 5–9 FG, 1–3 3PFG, 2–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover 3 fouls, +13
Season statistics — 81 games, 11.6 points, 43.5 FG%, 33.8 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Record — Finished 47–35, 5th in Eastern Conference; Next game — Saturday, Game 1 of the first-round series as No. 5 East seed at No. 4 Cleveland
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 31 | 6–8, 225 | 12th NBA season | $17,000,000 salary | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
121–82 Sunday win vs. Portland — Started; 31 minutes, 17 points, 5–8 FG, 2–4 3FG, 5–7 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnovers, 1 foul, +37
Season statistics — 82 games, 12.2 points, 47.4 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 80.1 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Record — Finished 46–36, tied for 9th in Western Conference; Next game — 10 p.m. Tuesday as No. 9 seed in play-in tournament vs. No. 10 Golden State, TNT (loser eliminated)
Leaky Black, Charlotte Hornets guard
Age 24 | 6–9, 209 | rookie NBA season | Two-way contract | UNC 2018–23 (5 seasons)
120–110 Sunday win at Cleveland — 32 minutes, 11 points, 4–4 FG, 2–2 3FG, 1–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 fouls, +22
NBA season statistics — 26 games, 2.7 points, 48.1 FG%, 45.0 3FG%, 66.7 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
G League season statistics — 25 games, 7.1 points, 43.7 FG%, 33.3 3FG%, 61.9 FT%, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 of a block
Record — Finished 21–61, 13th in Eastern Conference;
Reggie Bullock, Houston Rockets guard
Age 32 | 6–6, 205 | 11th NBA season | $10,489,600 salary | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
116–106 Sunday loss at Los Angeles Clippers — 6 minutes, 0 points, 0–1 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 turnovers, 1 foul, -1
Season statistics — 44 games, 2.2 points, 41.5 FG%, 40.3 3P%, 1–1 FT, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 of an assist
Record — Finished 41–41, 11th in Western Conference
Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210 | fifth NBA season | $25,679,348 salary | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
107–86 Sunday loss at Philadelphia — Didn’t play (left big toe sprain); missed last two games
Season statistics — 58 games, 13.4 points, 44.6 FG%, 39.1 3P%, 78.9 FT%, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Record — Finished 32–50, 11th in Eastern Conference
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 22 | 7–0, 245 | second NBA season | $2,831,160 salary | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
123–116 Sunday loss at Golden State — Didn’t play (nasal fracture); missed last six games
Season statistics — 64 games, 8.1 points, 65.5 FG%, 21.1 3P%, 60.2 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist, 2.4 blocks
Record — Finished 31–51, 12th in Western Conference
Nassir Little, Phoenix Sun wing
Age 23 | 6–4, 220 | fifth NBA season | $6,250,060 salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
125–106 Sunday win at Minnesota — 5 minutes, 4 points, 2–3 FG, 0–1 3FG, -5
Season statistics — 45 games, 3.4 points, 46.0 FG%, 30.0 3P%, 85.0 FT%, 1.7 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist
Record — Finished 49–33, 6th in Western Conference; Next game — Saturday, Game 1 of the first-round series as No. 6 seed at No. 3 Minnesota
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | third NBA season | $2,210,040 salary | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
107–86 Sunday loss at Philadelphia — Didn’t play (wrist injury); missed three of last six games
Season statistics — 61 games, 6.8 points, 57.1 FG%, 26.7 3P%, 51.0 FT%, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Record — Finished 32–50, 11th in Eastern Conference
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 23 | 6–5, 195 | fifth NBA season | $11,111,111 salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
120–119 Sunday overtime loss at New York — Started; 43 minutes, 26 points, 12–18 FG, 0–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, +1
Season statistics — 79 games, 19.1 points, 44.7 FG%, 37.6 3P%, 83.8 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists
Record — Finished 39–43, 9th in Eastern Conference; Next game — 9:30 Wednesday as No. 9 seed vs. No. 10 Atlanta in play-in tournament, ESPN (loser eliminated)
In G League
Tony Bradley, Texas Legends center
Age 25 | 6–11, 248 | seventh pro season | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
Season statistics — 17 games, 14.1 points, 67.1 FG%, 71.9 FT%, 9.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 block
Record — Finished 18–16, 9th in Western Conference; finished 6–10 in Showcase Cup
Justin Jackson, Texas Legends guard
Age 28 | 6–8, 220 | seventh pro season | UNC 2014–17 (3 seasons)
Season G League statistics — 44 games, 19.9 points, 46.4 FG%, 40.5 3P%, 85.0 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.7 of a steal, 0.5 of a block
Season NBA statistics (with Minnesota) — 2 games, 1 minute, 0 points
Record — Finished 18–16, 9th in Western Conference; finished 6–10 in Showcase Cup
Pete Nance, Cleveland Charge
Age 23 | 6–10, 225 | rookie pro season | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
G League season statistics — 42 games; 13.2 points, 46.8 FG%, 35.8 3FG%, 74.5 FT%, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 of a steal, 1.5 blocks
Season NBA season statistics (with Cleveland) — 8 games, 27 minutes, 3 points, 1–6 FG, 1–1 3FG, 0–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 2 fouls
Record — Finished 15–7, 11th in Eastern Conference; finished 6–10 in Showcase Cup
Theo Pinson, Texas Legends guard
Age 27 | 6–7, 212 | sixth pro season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
Season statistics — 46 games, 14.8 points, 42.6 FG%, 38.2 3P%, 82.2 FT%, 6.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 of a block
Record — Finished 18–16, 9th in Western Conference; finished 6–10 in Showcase Cup
Photo via @chicagobulls
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