On Sunday night, Coby White played his first game of the season, almost helping the Chicago Bulls secure a thrilling victory in Salt Lake City.
Due to a persistent calf injury, White had been sidelined until Sunday night, when he was given the go-ahead to play against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center. Despite contributing a team-best 27 points and eight assists as a reserve, his efforts weren’t quite enough for the Bulls to win. The Jazz managed to secure a 150-147 victory in double overtime, thanks to a clutch shot from Keyonte George in the game’s closing moments.
That crucial basket came just moments after White had tied the score at the free-throw line. George scored 33 points, even though he only made 3 of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc, in the Jazz’s victory (5-8).
At the conclusion of the first overtime, White made a similar play. After a jump ball, White used a screen and drove toward the basket, hitting a layup to level the score.
In the win, Lauri Markkanen was Utah’s top scorer with 47 points and seven rebounds. Brice Sensabaugh scored 16 points as a substitute, while Isaiah Collier had 16 points and nine assists.
Josh Giddey contributed 26 points and 13 assists for the Bulls, who are currently on a five-game losing streak. Nikola Vucevic recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Matas Buzelis scored 18 points.
White, who was picked by the team as the No. 7 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, had a respectable start to his career, even though he only started one game as a rookie. He averaged 13.2 points and came in fifth place in the Rookie of the Year voting. White continued to produce similar stats over the following three seasons, though his playing time decreased in 2022-23, when he only started in two games.
After enduring his least productive season as a professional, White discovered a new level of performance. He averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds during the 2023-24 season. At that stage in his career, all of these numbers were personal bests for White. He essentially replicated these stats last season, averaging 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, demonstrating that his breakthrough was genuine.
Despite his achievements, the Bulls have only had one winning season since selecting White in the NBA Draft and have only made one playoff appearance. They finished with a record of 39-43 in each of the previous two seasons.
After a surprising 5-0 start, the Bulls have lost six of their past seven games. Their next game is against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Despite their recent struggles, White’s return should give them a significant boost as they come to the end of their four-game road trip this week.
