In the final five minutes of a 124-118 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans, the crowd at the United Center erupted into a steady chant: “Coby, Coby, Coby.”

Chicago Bulls fans were heralding Coby White, who appeared to arrive at a next step in his career Saturday night. It wasn’t just that he sank eight 3-pointers to score a team-high 31 points. White defined the Bulls in a performance that illustrated his importance to the team.

[ [Don’t miss] Foot injury will sideline Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine for a week: ‘It felt a little better and just progressively got worse’ ]

It was a quiet start for White, who scored only three points in the first half on 1-for-4 shooting from behind the arc. But something clicked at halftime. When White emerged, he took the court with a hot hand, going 7-for-9 from 3-point range to score 28 points in the second half.

White had never scored that many points in a half of his NBA career. And it wasn’t just the shooting. The guard showcased the improvements that have elevated his game to meet the expectations of a starting role.

When White was named starting point guard to begin the season, it was clear he would take a more dominant role in the offense. But on Saturday’, White took the reins firmly and dictated the offense whenever the team went on the attack.

He has scored four or more 3-pointers in seven of the last eight games, shooting 40% or better from behind the arc in that span. After starting the season on a cold streak, it’s clear the guard has found his comfort zone.

“Early on, I was struggling with my shot the first 12 games or so,” White said. “The coaching staff and my teammates, they trust me. They find me. If I don’t shoot it, I get cussed out, so might as well shoot it.”

The Bulls won consecutive games for the first time this season, improving to 7-14 despite missing Zach LaVine, who is sidelined for the next week with a right foot injury.

Here are four other takeaways from the win.

For most of the season, the Bulls offense has been stagnant. The ball stalled in the hands of players as teammates stood flat-footed, waiting for action that never seemed to come. It led to one of the worst offensive starts to the season as the Bulls averaged just 107.7 points per game, the third-worst in the league.

But on Saturday, the offense came alive. The Bulls whipped the ball around the perimeter, flashed into the paint with quick cuts and fed one another consistently to finish with 32 assists. Only 16 of the Bulls’ makes were unassisted against a top-five defensive opponent.

DeRozan led the fluid offense in his return from a one-game absence for a left ankle injury. He racked up a team-high 10 assists while scoring 24 points, serving equally as a playmaker and shot-taker in a well-balanced role.

“Just being unselfish, looking for the ball, pushing the pace, not making too much about the mistakes that we made defensively that slow us down,” DeRozan said. “We just kept playing, everybody’s making great reads, quick reads. Everybody’s taking shots with confidence, making plays with confidence.”

Bulls fans have been eager to hear this for four years: Williams is beginning to find his comfort zone.

Chicago Tribune Sports

Weekdays

See also  Panthers increasing overall ticket prices for 2024 season

A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.

Williams scored 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. His defense was critical for the Bulls to contest Zion Williamson, and Williams finished with two blocked shots and two steals. When he threw down a dunk off a lob from White in the final 20 seconds, it was clear that the young duo was prepared to make a bigger impact.

Saturday marked the sixth consecutive game in which Williams scored in double figures, tying the longest streak of his career. That consistency is key for Williams as he works to maintain his place in the starting lineup.

Every time Dosunmu has been given an opportunity this season, he has taken advantage of it. That trend continued Saturday, when the guard shouldered higher minutes for the second game in a row with LaVine sidelined.

Dosunmu had 15 points and two steals in 32 minutes off the bench. He was most lethal in transition. His effort to push the pace was balanced with a headier risk aversion, which helped the Bulls get up the court more quickly without taking unnecessary risks.

After logging eight points, two assists and a block as a starter, Alex Caruso was pulled from the game at halftime as he continues to battle a left toe injury. Caruso said the injury was nagging him during Thursday’s win against the Milwaukee Bucks, but that didn’t stop him from hitting a game-tying shot to send the Bulls into overtime en route to a win.

Caruso has missed only three games this season, but injuries have greatly limited his availability. Donovan has attempted to stave off injury by keeping Caruso out of the starting lineup and limiting his minutes to the mid-20s in most games.

But that hasn’t proved effective for the Bulls, who continue to be forced to adapt to the intermittent absence of their defensive star.

Originally Published: Dec 02, 2023 at 10:56 pm