Coby White showcased his talent with a remarkable 42-point performance, leading the Chicago Bulls to a decisive 131-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Wednesday night’s play-in tournament showdown.
Throughout the game, White relentlessly attacked the rim, earning cheers from fans as the Bulls dominated the Hawks. With this win, Chicago advances to face Miami on Friday, aiming for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a chance to take on Boston in the first round.
Dejounte Murray led the charge for Atlanta with 30 points, but the Hawks fell short once again, extending their losing streak to six games after the regular season.
Nikola Vucevic contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, while DeMar DeRozan added 22 points and nine assists. Ayo Dosunmu, returning from a quadricep injury, made an impact with 19 points, boosting Chicago’s impressive shooting performance at 56.8% from the field.
Trae Young and Clint Capela led the scoring for the Hawks with 22 points each, but Young’s 10 assists were offset by six turnovers. Capela also grabbed an impressive 17 rebounds, with Bogdan Bogdanovic contributing 21 points.
The Bulls took control in the third quarter, sparked by Vucevic’s crucial 3-pointer that ignited a decisive 17-2 run. White thrilled the crowd with a spectacular spin move around Young, setting up a dunk for Javonte Green and extending Chicago’s lead to 105-87.
Chicago surged ahead early, ending the first quarter with a commanding 40-22 lead, fueled by a 16-2 run capped off by Dalen Terry’s emphatic dunk. Despite a spirited comeback by the Hawks, the Bulls maintained their momentum, entering halftime with a 73-67 advantage.
