CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White had the crowd roaring from the start with his aggressive moves and turns to get to the basket. It was so effective that fans chanted his name during the final minutes of the match.
It was one of those nights for him.
White scored a career-high 42 points and the Chicago Bulls advanced in the playoff mini-tournament, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 131-116 on Wednesday.
White, whose previous record was 37 points, attacked the rim with determination during the game, for the Bulls who amassed a clear advantage over Atlanta heading into the final stretch.
It was White’s best performance, in a campaign in which he has become a figure of the team.
“It was an exhilarating moment, when that happened,” White said, referring to the audience chorus. “I am grateful to the fans. They made this have a postseason vibe. “The whole place shook tonight.”
Chicago visits Miami on Friday, looking for a place as the eighth place in the Eastern Conference to the playoffs. This grants the right to face Boston in the first round.
The Heat fell 105-104 to Philadelphia also on Wednesday.
Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points. However, the Hawks fell short again, after losing their final six games of the regular season.
Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan finished with 22 points and nine assists.
Ayo Dosunmu added 19 points after missing the last four games of the regular season due to a bruised right quadriceps. The Bulls shot 56.8% from the field.
And White stole the night. He drove decisively to the basket and made 15 of 21 field goals, on a night when the Bulls shot 56.8%. White also added nine rebounds and six assists.
2024-04-18 04:45:05
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