By R.L. Bynum
The crowd at Chicago’s United Center was chanting Coby White’s name. That was no surprise considering it was the best game of his five-year NBA career.
With an array of devastating crossovers to amazing spin moves, White scored 42 points — the most in his career — to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 131–116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in an elimination game in the play-in tournament.
“It was a dope moment for that to happen,” White, who scored 25 second-half points, said of the reaction from Bulls fans. “I’m thankful for the fans. It felt like a playoff vibe. The place was rocking tonight.”
White, who had a breakout regular season, made 3 of 7 3-point attempts and 15 of 21 shots, many coming with impressive drives to the basket. He added six assists against no turnovers and nine rebounds.
White joined Michael Jordan as the only Bulls with at least 40 points and at least five assists in any game with no turnovers since turnovers were first recorded in the 1977–78 season. Jordan did it five times.
White is the eighth former UNC player to score at least 40 points in a postseason game, and it’s an elite group: Jordan (38 times), Bob McAdoo (five times), Vince Carter (twice), Billy Cunningham, Brad Daugherty, Lee Shaffer and James Worthy.
“I’m so grateful about the progress that I put in; the work’s finally showing, the opportunity I was given by this organization,” White said in a postgame interview with ESPN. “I just wanted to capitalize and take advantage of it. So, I’m so I’m so grateful, man. I’m so thankful to be in this position.”
Next is another elimination game, this one at 7 p.m. Friday at Miami (ESPN), which lost at Philadelphia 105–104 on Wednesday. The Heat could be without Jimmy Butler, who suffered an MCL injury in the game. The teams split four regular-season games.
Last season, Chicago beat Toronto in its first play-in game before Miami eliminated the Bulls 102–91.
“He set the tone getting downhill,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “He made a lot of really good passes. I know that 42 is a huge number, and it’s phenomenal, but I thought he played a really complete game. He defended, he assisted, he got downhill. He made the game easy for the guys.”
(Via NBA.com)
White’s best previous scoring game came not long ago when he scored 37 points and five 3-pointers in Chicago’s 113–109 win at Sacramento on March 4. The 42 points were the second-most in the five-year history of the play-in tournament.
Play-in tournament games don’t count for career statistics but White isn’t concerned about that.
“I’m definitely counting it,” White said in a postgame interview with ESPN.
White spun around Atlanta star Trae Young and passed to Javonte Green for a dunk, then his layup pushed Chicago’s lead to 105–87 with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter. His 3-pointer from 32 feet out shoved the lead to 121–100 with 6:51 left, and his 3 with 4:57 remaining pushed the lead to 22 as he scored 14 points in the final quarter.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 23 | 6–3, 185 | fourth NBA season | $5,539,771 salary | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
97–83 Saturday loss at Cleveland; trail first-round series 1–0 — 11 minutes, 4 points, 0–7 FG, 0–4 3PFG, 4–4 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, -5
Regular-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 — 7 p.m. Monday, Game 2 of the first-round series as No. 5 East seed at No. 4 Cleveland, NBATV
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 31 | 6–8, 225 | 12th NBA season | $17,000,000 salary | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
105–98 Friday loss at New Orleans in play-in tournament, eliminating Kings — Started; 38 minutes, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–5 3FG, 2–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 foul
Regular-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;
Nassir Little, Phoenix Sun wing
Age 23 | 6–4, 220 | fifth NBA season | $6,250,060 salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
120–95 Saturday loss at Minnesota; trail first-round series 1–0 — 4 minutes, 2 points, 1–1 FG, -5
Regular-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 — 7:30 Tuesday, Game 2 of the first-round series as No. 6 seed at No. 3 Minnesota, NBATV
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 23 | 6–5, 195 | fifth NBA season | $11,111,111 salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
112–91 Friday play-in game loss at Miami; Bulls eliminated — Started; 26 minutes, 13 points, 5–16 FG, 2–8 3FG, 1–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, -23
Regular-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;
Photo via @ChicagoBulls
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