gameday

none

Sam Smith

It felt like all that was missing Saturday in the Advocate Center was Bulls Executive Vice-president of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas with a skull in his hand mimicking the Hamlet skull soliloquy.

Alas, poor Bulls Big Three, I knew them well.

But not likely anymore because in the wake of the Bulls 112-91 season-ending play-in tournament loss Friday to the Miami Heat, Karnišovas Saturday signaled the death of the three stars alignment the Bulls put together in 2021as their potential championship representation.

But after consecutive losing seasons, the failure to make the playoffs since 2022 and injuries that often have limited Zach LaVine, Karnišovas effectively declared the end to the LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević triumvirate.

“This group, something doesn’t work,” Karnišovas said during the press conference. “I have to find ways to find a group that’s going to make improvements. We’ve done it for a couple years now and it hasn’t worked. Everything is on the table. It goes without saying that the conclusion of the season fell short of expectations regardless of injury, status. Any season where we don’t end deep into the postseason requires close examination, which has already begun. I can talk about all of our players through a positive lens, but in totality as a team we didn’t meet expectations. We’re not here for the play-in. It’s a team game and we have to make changes to fix things. I take full responsibility for where we are right now. I know that our fans aren’t satisfied with where we finished the season and neither am I. 

“Analysis will start right now and go into free agency,” Karnišovas declared. “I think we’re going to be pretty aggressive the way we showed before (summer 2021) going into the draft and free agency. We obviously can’t roll (out) the same team again and expect different results. We definitely understand that even with some of the positivity with the clutch wins and overtime wins, we’re still at 39 (wins) and at the play-in. We have to somehow generate an additional 10 wins. Even with injuries we suffered this year, we need to change things. I’m thinking about winning and that’s why I am here. I am not here to stay in the middle. The formula we came up (with) three years ago, I thought it was working. Until couple injuries and we’re going to have to find these answers in this offseason. Obviously, the results are not what we wanted and I totally get it and it’s on me to figure it out. There’s a lot of great things in certain individual players, and a lot of young guys who took a step forward and it’s positive but in totality as a group it didn’t work. Going into this offseason, we’re going to be more aggressive to look to improve this team. We’ve been creative in the past and going into this offseason basically everything is on the table, so we are going to look at everything.”

Karnišovas didn’t specifically discount the possibility of a rebuild, but it didn’t sound close to that path with indications of new deals with DeRozan and Patrick Williams. Both are free agents, Williams restricted, and Karnišovas indicated there is mutual interest regarding returns. 

Karnišovas also said he is confident in coach Billy Donovan and the work he has done and was indecisive on the return of Lonzo Ball. Karnišovas continued to emphasize substantial changes in the roster and being aggressive in the trade and free agency markets for the first time since the summer of 2021.

He indicated because of injuries, inconsistent performances and changing rotations his goal of continuity didn’t work as Donovan reiterated after Friday’s loss. Karnišovas didn’t specially mention LaVine, who has been subject to trade speculation.

Karnišovas also said he views the need to increase payroll into the excess salary cap luxury tax only if the team is on a sure trajectory to a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference and thus a first round playoff series with the home court.

“I won’t be satisfied until we bring a championship to the city of Chicago,” Karnišovas said. “That’s why I was hired, that’s why I am here, and my mission remains unchanged. It's a result-driven business and I'll be evaluated based on results and I expect that. Diving into this off-season I put an emphasis on turning this program around. I like what Billy has done here the last four years. Billy is someone you build a program with. He’s a very good coach and even a better human being. He’s obviously a great leader, great coach and I’ve got to do a better job to help him, to find a group. We put emphasis on cohesion this year and I think this group kind of bonded. In totality it didn’t work and I have to find these answers. We established a winning expectation, we defined a profile for the Bulls player, and we put an emphasis on player development. It is also on me to facilitate Billy with the resources he needs to build a team that can be successful consistently.”

— On DeRozan: “DeMar’s been great for us for three years. He’s been invested in the city of Chicago and has been really great to our young guys, so both sides are interested in continuing so we’ll see what happens in free agency.”

— On Williams: “The disappointing thing is we lost Patrick for the season, and the last three months. I wish we could’ve seen this team with Patrick on it. We lack, obviously, size without him. The both sides are mutually, they want him to be here. We’ll approach free agency as always.”

— On Ball: “He’s improving. We’ll see where he is at next couple of months (if) no setbacks we’ll see where he is at in terms of on court and basketball side so we’ll figure it out. We’re just going to wait and see his progression the next couple months. He’s progressing well. Everything is looking with no setbacks.”

— On paying the luxury tax: “My approach looking at the luxury tax is if you can prove that your team is going to be in the top four you go in the luxury tax. It just makes no sense to be in the play-in if you’re going to be in the luxury tax. As long as I can put a team together that is going to be competing top four in the East, that’s when you start to look at retaining guys and go in the luxury tax.”&nbsp;

So much for these Bulls’ players gibes, their gambols and their songs, the flashes of merriment. Yes, for the Bulls the game’s again afoot. Once more into the breach for Artūras.

Got a question for Sam?Submit your question to Sam at asksam@bulls.com

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

arturas-karnisovas-addresses-media-following-play-in-tournament

Artūras Karnišovas addresses media following play-in tournament

So there were the Bulls Friday with the start to the NBA playoffs in Boston clearly ahead, and the Bulls ready to step off the curb of their erratic regular season and cross over to the elevated competition when they apparently didn’t realize there was one of those contra lanes with traffic coming from the opposite direction.

Because the Bulls were flattened and their season basically run over and left for dead in a disastrous 112-91 loss to the Miami Heat even lacking their big wheel, Jimmy Butler.

The Heat was on, and to paraphrase Glen Frey it was in their heads and on every beat; the pressure was high to stay alive. And yes, the Bulls felt it. But the Bulls could do little and go home for the summer as Miami got 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists from Tyler Herro, 21 points from rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., and 19 points off the bench from Kevin Love and absolutely overwhelmed the Bulls, outplaying them from the start during a 19-0 first quarter run and then burying them in a 12-0 late third quarter Bulls comedy of errors that left the Heat — did anyone mention without injured Jimmy Butler — dancing away with a lead that got up to even 29 points during the fourth quarter. 

Miami led for all but the first four minutes of the game and by double digits for all but about three minutes in the third quarter when the Bulls eased within 49-42 early in the quarter and 63-54 with five minutes left. But the Bulls then absolutely imploded in what looked like a clown car doing a Keystone Cops scene. There was an inbounds pass turnover that led to a three, three Miami offensive rebounds on one possession when the Bulls tried a small lineup, Andre Drummond making a steal and throwing the ball away on a two-on-one break after an offensive foul, Coby White dribbling the ball away, and suddenly it was 82-60 Miami going into the fourth quarter, and South Beach look out here they come.

Not so the Bulls, who for the second consecutive season lost the final play-in game in Miami after winning the first to fall just short of a playoff series. This year, however, it was settled much more quickly. Miami opens the playoffs in Boston noon Sunday.

"They came out and did what they were supposed to do,” said DeMar DeRozan, who led the Bulls with 21 quiet points. “Played extremely hard, played together, physical, impressive, more hungry. Came out the gate, we got it down to 10, 11 a few times and we just couldn't pull away from there. It was tough. Missed a lot of easy shots, couldn't find a rhythm offensively or couldn’t really get anything going. They had rhythm offensively, hit shots when they needed.”

But more significantly despite no one much wanting to admit so — Bulls coach Billy Donovan and players talked about shots just not going in — the Miami players were more physical from the start with Miami making a nice adjustment using center Bam Adebayo to defend DeRozan. There were some traps, but Adebayo’s presence and size left DeRozan unlike against Atlanta Wednesday off to a slow start. When the Bulls did make their one run in the second quarter it was pretty much all DeRozan, who was 3-of-4 on threes. But Adebayo’s size enabled him not to react to DeRozan’s pump fakes and DeRozan was just 3-of-4 on free throws.And while the Bulls talked afterward about shots rimming out, shots are more difficult to make when defenders are closing fast, wearing you down picking up in the backcourt as Miami did, pressuring and getting over screens. Bulls broadcaster Stacey King likes to talk about five Javontes; for Miami it was five Carusos.

“They came out a little more desperate,“ agreed Caruso. “They had the mental advantage coming off a loss. Coming back home, they just came out with more aggression than us. But even then I thought we did a good job of minimizing damage. But we didn’t make a couple of shots and that was the theme of the night. Every time we needed to cut it to a two-possession game, something manageable, they'd get it to 10 and we just didn’t make the timely shots to give us that energy boost to get over the hump and they’d make a couple of plays and it would get back to 15, and it was just an uphill battle from there. We gave offensive rebounds (at the end of the third), I had a bad turnover on the baseline. We’re already down 10 points, you give those things up you get to that point in game and you have such little margin for error. We just didn’t do a good enough job setting ourselves up to win late in the game.”

And as much as everyone likes to diminish, the Heat could have a last laugh about that culture they talk about all the time, especially with Butler unable to play. Caruso said creating that sort of desperation is vital for the Bulls.&nbsp;

“Not being satisfied and having an end goal and seeing the vision for where you want to be,” said Caruso. “Some of that (being satisfied) is human nature. It’s easy to have a few wins in a row and have a good stretch, but having that desperation from the start to game 82, that’s got to be the vision of where you are and where you want to be.”

DeRozan didn’t get much help other than from Nikola Vučević with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Coby White after his 42 points against the porous Hawks defense was stymied by the Miami pressure along with Ayo Dosunmu. They combined to shoot 8-for-31 (4-for-19 on threes) as White has 13 points and Dosunmu 10. Javonte Green off the bench had a dozen, but Miami’s reserves also were too much with a 42-24 edge. 

The Bulls shot a dismal 38% overall, 27% with 37 first-half points, were out rebounded 47-38 and outscored on the fast break 20-7 with Heat players constantly dunking in transition. It was a shockingly uncompetitive game for a Bulls team that did show unusual resilience and competency even during the worst of times, and even when they got behind 22-1 against the Heat earlier in the season and then won the game.

“Earlier this year we were down to them 22-1 and came back and won that game, so I’m pretty sure they talked about that before the game started,” said White. “Especially in this game with this intensity and playing with everything on the line, once you dig yourself a hole it’s a different type of hole than the regular season. It’s a different type of desperation for both teams. In that second quarter, we dug in defensively and got some stops, but we still didn’t shoot the ball well. So sometimes in this league it’s make or miss. We knew they were going to come out physical. They call it the Heat culture for a reason.

“Coach harped on it they were going to come out aggressive, especially after a loss in Philly and physical, and I feel like even in those moments we still got some good looks,” insisted White. “They protect the paint really well, but we got some spray outs and kick outs and when they were really closing in on DeMar he was making the right plays and we just didn’t hit shots and they hit shots at the beginning of the game and came out strong.”

Which perhaps you would expect for Miami back home, and without Butler it had many frankly packing for Boston. OK, me. And you also; admit it.

Especially the way the Bulls absolutely dominated the Hawks, and then learning Butler was out, and for good measure also Terry Rozier, and the Miami starters included rookie Jaquez, Nikola Jović and Caleb Martin. Who the heck was going to score? 

And them after the Bulls took a 11-6 lead making three consecutive threes, and you were sure they had this one, it was a dizzying 19 straight Miami points as suddenly the Bulls shots were much more difficult with a defender right there, picking up in the backcourt, constantly chasing and no DeMar to bail you out with Adebayo casting a long shadow.

“We have not been a high volume three-point shooting team,” agreed Donovan noting Miami made 14 threes to 13 for the Bulls, though Miami shot 42% and the Bulls 30. “I kind of liked a lot of the shots we got. DeMar and Vooch score, but we always need a third or fourth guy to help out with the load a little bit. It was a game I thought we had good looks and didn’t shoot the ball well. The defense in the first quarter was not great, but as poorly as we shot it in the second quarter we outscored them by seven and held them to 13 points.

“This is the part for Coby and Ayo, consistency wise, they're at this level against Atlanta and then you have to be able to come back. Not score 42 points again, but keep coming back,” said Donovan. “We gotta do more of that. We did compete. The game was physical. I thought at times they drove the ball through us; I didn't like that. I thought we were battling and trying. Scoring for us was coming harder than it was for them. Give them credit that their defense was great. Don’t want to take anything way from them, but all that being said it's a 10-point game (at half) and then we come out and get it down to (seven). There were a few (bad) possessions and to their their credit they really capitalized on that and blew the game open. I liked the shots Coby got, really liked the shots Ayo got. We gotta make some of those to keep staying in the game. And when you aren't shooting well and you have that stretch in the third quarter it becomes a really difficult mountain to overcome."

Certainly when you are following the rainbows to find your dream. It still remains out of reach for the Bulls. And, c’mon, didn’t anyone see that bus coming?

bulls-season-ends-in-miami-fall-to-heat-112-91-in-play-in

Bulls season ends in Miami, fall to Heat 112-91 in Play-In

nbaplatformservices

ac-knocks-down-a-three

AC knocks down a three

It’s maybe Déjà vu all over again for the Bulls and Miami Heat on Friday as they virtually repeat last year’s play-in meeting which the Heat won in 2023 with a fourth quarter rally after the Bulls big win in Toronto thanks to a scoring outburst from Zach LaVine after Miami lost to Atlanta setting up the game in Miami for the final playoff spot.

It would seem the Bulls have the advantage this time even in Miami because the Heat lost star Jimmy Butler to a knee injury in Wednesday’s narrow loss to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 7 playoff seed. Miami streak scorer Terry Rozier also is out while it’s a game decision for the Bulls’ Alex Caruso with a sprained ankle.

“We know how physical they play and what they do and both teams are hungry for a spot in the playoffs,” said Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who had an impressive game against Atlanta returning from a quad injury. “We know last year we came up short. So one year later to play the same team in the same place, same opportunity. We have to embrace that and go out there and make it happen

“We feel we can compete with anyone and have to do it for 48 minutes,” said Dosunmu. “They have a culture that who ever steps up in his (Butler’s) spot, they are not going to bring what he does because he’s an All Star and a great player in this league. But Miami is one of those teams you play them you know what to expect. They play hard, they play physical, they don’t quit. They keep coming and bringing energy. It’s the Miami Heat; they have a culture.”

Which the Heat famously bluster about, though one has to wonder about it because they are notorious for not taking the regular season seriously with players like Butler and Tyler Herro missing dozens of games, often just to rest. Perhaps they just don’t get in the right rhythm to play. It usually doesn’t seem to bother Butler, who has been a playoff star in his career.

“He’s one of the great competitors of this league,” Caruso said about Butler after Wednesday's game. “He turns this time of the year into his time. So if he can’t go that would be a significant loss because he’s kind of the head of the snake, heartbeat for them. But they still have plenty of talented, capable guys. If he’s out it will change some things we do, but we respect the Miami Heat and what they bring.”

The Bulls are hoping they can begin to duplicate what Miami did last season in turning the play-in win and No. 8 seed into a trip to the NBA Finals.

“The run they went on last year was incredible after our game and throughout the playoffs,” noted Bulls coach Billy Donovan. "So they are a team that’s really battle tested and has been in all sorts of moments. It will be a great challenge on the road. We have an enormous amount of respect for them and we know how good they are. You’ll have to play well there. They do a lot of things really well. At this point it’s a one-game series, so to speak. So there are a lot of things you have to do well.

The reality is loose balls, hustle plays, physicality. If both teams shoot 50 percent you are probably talking about 50 missed shots by both teams and that’s a lot of loose balls. They are good at those things and we will be tested to do a lot of those things at a really high level. And guarding them with the three-point shooting with (Duncan) Robinson and Herro is a lot to prepare for.”

It’s also different teams in a sense since earlier this season when the teams in consecutive games in both November and December, the last game between the teams was four months ago, LaVine and Patrick Williams were playing for the Bulls and Kyle Lowry was starting for Miami.

Though there also is a long history of Miami/Bulls playoff games even with the Heat’s short history as an expansion team starting in the 1988-89 season.

Miami was the first among those expansion teams to make the playoffs in 1992 and in the first round faced the Bulls, who were going for their second title. It was a talkative group of Miami kids with the likes of Glen Rice and Steve Smith, and after losing the first two games, the Heat took a big early lead in Game 3 and some of their young players began to taunt Michael Jordan, who had enjoyed some golf supposedly before the game. They got Jordan’s attention, who then went for 56 points as the Bulls won with a 40-point fourth quarter.

With Pat Riley taking control and getting his tough guy center Alonzo Mourning along with Tim Hardaway, the Heat ran up against the greatest Bulls in the 1996 playoffs and were swept in the first round and then the following season Miami made the conference finals where they lost to the Bulls in five games. The Bulls won the first three 1997 slugfests, err games, in averaging 80 points to win both games. When the Bulls won Game 5 100-87, they were the only team to score 100 points in the series. Miami never scored 90 points in a game. Miami averaged 78 per game in the series.

But then Miami began to dominate, though the Bulls did have a moment.

Miami on the way to their first NBA title adding Shaquille O’Neal beat the Bulls in six games in the first round in 2006. Though the next season the Bulls pulled off one of the great upsets in NBA history with a four-game sweep of the defending champion Heat in the 2007 first round. That was the Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni young, hustling Bulls team.

Then came the LeBron Heatles era, and there remains the big what if (Derrick Rose had not been hurt) after the Bulls swept Miami during the 2010-11 regular season and then lost 4-1 in the conference finals. After the Bulls fabulous Game 7 first round series win over the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 playoffs, the Bulls lost to Miami in five games in the next round, the last time the teams met post season until last season’s play-in game.

Here’s a look at the 2023-24 season series in which the teams split 2-2 with each winning at home and on the road and splitting the consecutive game pairs.

Nov. 18: Bulls win in Chicago 102-97 (Record 5-9)

This was the groans game in which the Heat started the game leading 22-1 against a staggering Bulls team that was 4-9 for the season. The Bulls fought back into the game and in what would be a familiar formula for the season DeMar DeRozan scored a dozen of his 23 points in the fourth quarter with a clinching 18 footer with 22 seconds left. “Can’t start games like that,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “I try to give them a little bit of time to talk... it’s listen, ‘We have got to pick up our pace here.’ They’re talking, the talk is constructive. There is positivity in there like, ‘C’mon, let’s go, we’re better than this.’ That kind of stuff. There’s no finger pointing of, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘What are you doing?’ There’s none of that. They are all trying to lift each other up like, ‘C’mon, here.’ It’s great to talk, but we have to go out and do it. I’m glad we were able to overcome it, but it’s certainly a hard way to live doing that.”

Nov. 20: Heat wins in Chicago 118-100 (Record 5-10)

Miami led pretty much from the start and the entire game, and though we didn’t fully realize it then, Zach LaVine was having issues with his foot as he attempted fewer than 10 field goals for the second consecutive game. He shot more than 50 percent in each. But Miami hit the Bulls with 17 threes to 11 for the Bulls, which was a season long issue and one the Bulls hope to counter in Friday’s play-in game. “We’ve got to come out ready to play both ends of the court; that’s pretty much it,” said Coby White, who led the Bulls with a season high 20 points. “Play with force and physicality and that will take care of both ends. Obviously disappointed; nobody wants to be 5-10. But that’s the reality of where we are right now, and we have to figure out how to win games and stack wins together. We’re positive, trying to stick to our identity. It’s not going to be easy, so we’ve got to continue to fight through and stay together and that’s what we’re continuing to do and hopefully something will click.”

Dec. 14: Bulls win in Miami 124-116 (Record 10-16)

Miami had no answers for the speed and aggression of the Bulls kid guards. White and Ayo Dosunmu combined for 50 points and 18 assists without a turnover after Alex Caruso left the game after five minutes with a sprained ankle. Four Bulls scored at least 23 points as eight minutes into the game in Miami the Bulls were leading 33-8. This was the start of trade speculation around the team with the 5-14 start, but also the emergence of White as a Most Improved Player candidate averaging more than 22 points in December. “The ball was moving and we were playing really fast and we were active on the defensive end,” said White. “We were getting open looks (making seven of their first nine threes). It was fun.” It’s the Bulls formula that was successful against Atlanta Wednesday they’ll try to use again to play fast and in transition.

Dec. 16: Heat wins in Miami 118-116 (Record 10-17)

The Bulls came back from 15 points behind, but Jimmy Butler made a 20 footer at the buzzer for the two-point win with Patrick Williams having a career game with 25 points and White with 18 fourth quarter points with four threes in the fourth. But Miami got three late scores from offensive rebounds and survived for the season split. “Down 11 to start the fourth, I give the guys credit for fighting back and taking the lead in the fourth the way they did,” Donovan said. “There is a lot we can take from it, but the blocking out and rebounding was what we can do a better job with. We’ve got to be able to run and go trap (Butler for the game winning shot). It’s hard to get into (it) at that moment in time, (but) if you do go at him with three, four seconds to go on the clock you generally are going to be OK (because) that next guy probably has to shoot it. I look at the last six, seven possessions, the thing that stands out is the rebounding part, the blocking out.”

Got a question for Sam?Submit your question to Sam at&nbsp;asksam@bulls.com

deja-vu-bulls-heat-meet-again-in-do-or-die-play-in-game

Deja Vu: Bulls, Heat meet again in "do-or-die" play-in game

chikbrown

With our season on the line, our guys put together perhaps their best performance of the season to advance in the Play-In.

bulls-mini-movie-coby-white-has-the-game-of-his-life-in-the-play-in

Bulls Mini-Movie: Coby White has the game of his life in the play-in

bulls-hawks-play-in-photo-gallery

Photo Gallery: Bulls-Hawks Play-In Tournament

Now you know. That’s what White hot looks like on the basketball court.

And it was pretty inevitable that the Atlanta Hawks were just about waving the white flag from moments into a Bulls end to end, wire to wire, on-to-Miami-again 131-116 victory led by Coby White’s career-most 42 points in Wednesday’s Eastern Conference NBA play-in tournament game. The Bulls now travel to Miami for a rematch of last year’s play-in game to qualify for the NBA playoffs. With the Bulls perhaps as a surprising favorite because Heat star Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in Miami’s Wednesday play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The winner of Friday’s 6 p.m (CT) game meets the top-seeded Boston Celtics noon Sunday to open their Eastern Conference playoffs. Which means for the Bulls there’s still work to do. But their white whale, obsessive holy grail pursuit of the playoffs in the wake of this disappointing regular season is starting to show relentlessly impressive movement through this ocean of basketball predators.

This night because the Bulls had a great White, the theatrical point guard who danced around and through Atlanta defenses with whiplash crossover dribbles, numbing drives, calculated pullups and galvanizing three pointers that inevitably unleashed a white noise chorus of “Coby, Coby, Coby,” from more than 22,000 towel-waving and exuberant United Center fans.

No white knuckles this night as White applied the knockout punches.

“I didn’t come into the game saying I was going to put the team (on my back) or whatever,” the predictably humble White said afterward. “I just wanted to be aggressive and take what the defense gave me and just try to lead. Coming into the game, I just wanted to impact winning on both sides of the ball and that’s what I focused on, and tonight I was aggressive and things went my way.

“It was a dope feeling, a dope moment for that to happen,” White added about the honorifics washing down on him. “I’m thankful for it, I’m thankful for the fans. It felt like the playoffs; the place was rocking tonight and I’m definitely counting it as my career-high. It’s on the stat sheet right here.”

White’s declaration was because the play-in tournament comes between the regular season and playoffs, and obviously for a select group of teams. So statistics don’t count for the regular season. They do count in a separate NBA play-in category like playoff statistics. But no one will sweat the technicalities of this because of the significance of the moment, and the time being necessary for a Bulls White knight.

“He did all right; he can do a little bit better,” DeMar DeRozan cracked deadpan sitting beside White at the formal NBA postgame interview podium when asked to comment on White’s game.

“He led us tonight,” agreed DeRozan, who kick started the rout with 11 first quarter points in the stunning 40-22 Bulls first quarter slaughter. “We talked before the game coming out being aggressive, trying to make a statement early and not wait (like often this season), and that’s what we did. Everything is on the table. We went through a lot this season with injuries, up and down season, a season none of us expected. Everything we went through this season for this moment here. (So) we have to carry that over to the next game as well, give ourselves a chance to be in the playoffs.

“I remember that plane ride home vividly,” DeRozan said about the late game meltdown play-in loss in Miami last year. “Everyone was frustrated; that feeling sucked. I know for me that was one thing on my mind when I realized we’re going back to Miami, not to have that feeling.”

It certainly will help the Bulls if Butler cannot play; preliminary media reports were he could have a sprained MCL, which could put him out until next season. For their part, the Bulls lost Alex Caruso in another bizarre play involving Andre Drummond. Drummond was sort of victimized in that reckless Torrey Craig lob-to-himself dunk last week. This time in the second quarter with the Hawks on a 14-0 run, Drummond getting back on defense with all his 290 pounds pancaked Caruso like a pulling guard. Caruso had to leave the game with a sprained ankle and could only briefly return. He said afterwards he hopes to play in Miami, which is vital for the Bulls the way Caruso helped set an early defensive tone pestering Young into five first quarter turnovers and 0-for-3 shooting.

“Caught me (stepping on my) right foot and the left one I tried to catch and tweaked my ankle a little,” said Caruso. "What I’ve been dealing with the last couple of weeks. My mindset is to play until my body tells me I can’t. Was kind of ineffective (afterward when I returned), so better those guys finish the game and they did a good job.”

Especially White with Nikola Vučević going for 24 points and 12 rebounds, DeRozan adding 22 points and Ayo Dosunmu 19. Javonte Green off the bench helping on Young with Caruso hurt added 10 points with some nasty slam dunks.

“We’ve got guys on the team when the lights come on and they are bright they step up to the challenge,” said Caruso. “I’ve had moments like that in my career; DeMar countess numbers. Vooch has played playoff basketball, Ayo in the short time he’s stepped up and helped us. I think that’s one of great strengths that we do have guys who can go off any given night. Coby’s put in the work. There’s talk of Most Improved and I think he rightfully deserves that. It’s not surprising for us because we know how good he can be and that’s how confident we want him to play all the time.”

And so all across the board the Bulls controlled this game, matching Atlanta’s 11 threes, which was the one potential Achilles heel for the Bulls. Then with Atlanta missing two of their best defenders and rebounders in Onyeka Okongwua and Saddiq Bey, the Bulls owned the boards 47-34, shot a staggering 56.8% overall with 42% on threes (the Hawks were 29.7%) and the Bulls had a dam burst of 72 inside points with mostly White, but also Dosunmu and Vučević, the latter with his spins and drop steps, crashing the Hawks in the paint.

“It was really important for us against them because we did not get (to the rim) as much (in the April 1 loss in the United Center), and we knew they were probably going to get the volume of three-point shots up that they do with (Bogdan) Bogdanović, (Dejounte) Murray and Trae Young and even (De’Andre) Hunter,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “So for us we needed to get downhill and attack the paint, and I think we did a better job of that and certainly Coby was a catalyst and Ayo getting downhill, as well.”

It was a thing of beauty, at least for the Bulls, from the jump with a 16-2 close to the first quarter and that suddenly massive 18-point lead, the arena rocking. The Bulls were shooting 62% and scoring every which way but loose, followups, threes, retrieving loose balls, drives and dunks.

The Hawks are a mess pretty much because of Young and his poor defense and overweening ball domination. He was one of four Hawks to score at least 20 points with 22, Murray leading with 30. But the Bulls drivers constantly sought out Young over screens because of his poor defense. Young had by far the poorest Atlanta plus-minus and shot 4-of-12 with six turnovers. Though that’s not the Bulls problem.

It seemed the Bulls might have one briefly when the Hawks made that second quarter run with Murray leading the way. But after the Hawks moved within 40-36 in a flash, it was flash Dosunmu with a driving score as the Bulls pushed the ball out of the backcourt whenever they could against historically poor Atlanta transition defense. The Bulls with White getting one of his two steals led DeRozan for a run out slam dunk and foul for a 14-point lead. Atlanta worked its way back within 73-67 in a defense optional first half after Caruso left.

Then with the Hawks trapping DeRozan, he helped get the ball moving with nine of the Bulls 27 assists, and Hawks defenders with heads spinning like they were in Beetlejuice. White had several drives like he was a bit of Jason Williams, Kyrie Irving and Bob Cousy, and the fans had seen enough, and came the third quarter roars for, “Coby! Coby! Coby!”

The Bulls led 110-92 after three quarters with White adding 14 more in the fourth quarter, back breaking for the Hawks with ankle breaking by White.

“Just grateful to be where I am,” said White. “That first playoff series I had in my career (against Milwaukee) didn’t go how I wanted it to go. Last year I played better in the play-in.”

There’s a famous verse from the English philosopher G. K. Chesterton: “God paints in many colors, but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when he paints in white.”

coby-whites-42-leads-bulls-past-hawks-in-the-play-in

Coby White's 42 leads Bulls past Hawks in the Play-in

highlights-chicago-bulls-beat-atlanta-131-116-in-nba-play-in-tournament

HIGHLIGHTS: Chicago Bulls beat Atlanta 131-116 in Play-In Game behind Coby White's 42 points

Presented By

AT&T

<a title="Bulls Play-In Tournament Tickets are On Sale Now" href="https://www.nba.com/bulls/postseason">Bulls Play-In Tournament Tickets are On Sale Now!</a>