CHICAGO — The Bulls have been searching all season for another consistent scoring threat alongside Zach LaVine, but as their lineup has been wrecked by injuries for the last three games, rookie guard Coby White has stepped in to fill that void.
The two took turns taking over the Bulls offense against the Thunder, leading an exhilarating third-quarter comeback as the Bulls charged back from down 24 points in the first half. Ultimately, their efforts fell short, as LaVine’s final shot, a long 3-pointer at the buzzer, fell short to seal a 124-122 loss.
LaVine finished with 41 points, his sixth game with 40 or more points this season, including 27 points in the second half. White provided the perfect complement on offense, reaching a career-high scoring performance for the third consecutive game and finishing with 35.
It didn’t stop the Bulls from losing for the ninth time in the last 10 games and dropping to a season-low 19 games below .500. The development of White during the past three games, however, is an encouraging development.
White became the first NBA player this season with three straight games scoring 25 or more points off the bench and the first rookie ever with 30 or more points off the bench in three straight games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He joins Michael Jordan as the only Bulls rookies to score at least 30 points in three straight games.
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