The Chicago Bulls pulled off an amazing comeback Friday night, 125-115 in overtime against the Toronto Raptors. Trailing by 16 points in the 4th quarter and down 4 with 6.2 seconds left in regulation, the Bulls rallied behind Coby White who scored 15 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter and overtime. His 4-point play with seconds remaining in regulation tied the game and sent it to overtime where the Bulls dominated.
Coby White’s Heroics Seal the Win
Coby White was the star of the night, scoring 15 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter and overtime. His 4-point play with seconds remaining in regulation tied the game and sent it to overtime.
“It’s big for us, especially because we’re a young team to get that experience of winning and playing in those big games,” White said after the game. “It’s a single-elimination game, a big time environment. It’s good for us as a team and obviously we got guys here who want to win.”
White is the only holdover from the previous regime and has become the team’s closer since DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine left. His ability to perform in crunch time has been a bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the Bulls.
Bulls Overcome Adversity
The game didn’t go well for the Bulls who found themselves down 30-27 after one, 63-54 at halftime and 90-81 going into the 4th. Toronto extended the lead to 97-81 early in the 4th but the Bulls wouldn’t quit.
White’s 11 points in a 6 minute stretch brought the Bulls within 1, 101-100, with 4:05 left in the game. Despite Toronto regaining control late White’s 4 point play with 2 seconds left tied the game and sent it to OT.
In OT the Bulls took control with Lonzo Ball hitting two threes and Ayo Dosunmu stealing a lazy pass for a breakaway dunk. The Bulls outscored the Raptors 15-5 in OT to win.
What This Win Means for the Bulls?
The Bulls are 24-36 and fighting to get into the play in tournament. With 22 games left in the season every win matters. Friday’s win showed the team’s toughness and competitiveness which will help them make a late season push.
“They want to play in the postseason,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “They’d love to advance and try to do that. That’s why these guys compete. It’s hard to tell a player or a team, ‘Oh winning isn’t that important.’ These guys get paid to play the game of basketball and compete and they want to win.”
Key Performances Beyond White
While White was the star Josh Giddey had 19 points and 12 assists, Zach Collins had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Lonzo Ball had 14 points and 4 threes. The balance showed the depth of the team.
Bulls next game is Tuesday vs Cleveland. They need more of Friday for play-in.