Coby White drew roars from the crowd early on with vicious crossovers and spins toward the basket. He was so effective he had fans chanting his name as the final minutes ticked away.
It was that kind of night.
White scored a career-high 42 points, and the Chicago Bulls advanced in the NBA Eastern Conference play-in tournament, knocking out the Atlanta Hawks with a 131-116 victory on Wednesday at the United Center.
White had never scored more than 37 points in a regular season or postseason game. But in a breakthrough season, he delivered his best performance to date.
“It was a dope moment for that to happen,” White said. “I’m thankful for the fans. It felt like a playoff vibe. The place was rocking tonight.”
Chicago visits Miami on Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup with Boston. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Heat lost, 105-104, at Philadelphia earlier Wednesday night, as the 76ers secured the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round matchup with the No. 2 seed New York Knicks.
Miami could also be without its top player Friday night.
Star guard Jimmy Butler suffered a possible MCL injury late in the first quarter Wednesday, sources told ESPN. According to ESPN, Butler said he’s getting an MRI on his knee Thursday. The Athletic first reported the injury.
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 final four regular-season games because of a bruised right quadricep.
But White stole the spotlight. He went hard at the rim and made 15-of-21 field goals in a game where the Bulls shot 56.8% from the field. He also had nine rebounds and six assists.
