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Starting the first game of his NBA career, Coby White continued his hot post All-Star break stretch, scoring 20 points in a 108-103 win over Cleveland.

The Bulls just don't lose when Coby White starts.

So maybe it was White's first ever professional start in the Bulls 108-103 victory over a Cleveland team again trying out the Cadavers nickname. And perhaps it was an unusually energetic group of Bulls players who because of new coronavirus protocols were required to be at least six feet away from any media member. Talk about clearer air to breathe. Which also make you wonder why players shower before speaking with reporters, but reporters never shower before interviewing players.

Ah, but I digress. And it was a bit of a pleasant digression for the Bulls Tuesday with a third win in their last eight games for a 22-43 mark and five Bulls scoring in double figures for the first time this season led by White with 20 points.

"Coby made some huge plays for us down the stretch," said Bulls coach Jim Boylen. "We had that spurt in the fourth (16-7 start to break from a 78 tie after three) and we were able to get a lead and hang on. Coby made some huge plays for us down the stretch. Shaq (Harrison) gets 10 boards; that huge for us. We had a defensive crew out there at the end. It was good."

Chuck Swirsky with BullsTV recaps tonight's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was good, finally, as the Bulls were the ones this time to pull away late and finish even as the Cavaliers cut a 10-point deficit with under five minutes to 105-103 with 38.3 seconds. It was then Harrison made the game saving play flying in past Collin Sexton, who appeared to believe it still was the t-shirt parachute drop. As Sexton looked around, Harrison sprinted to the basket for the second chance and was fouled for two free throws. That gave the Bulls a four-point lead with 13.2 seconds left. Wendell Carter Jr. with 17 points then knocked the ball away from a driving Sexton to effectively end the game. Sexton led Cleveland with 26 points on 12 of 16 shooting.

Harrison had just eight points. But he led the Bulls in rebounding for a second straight game and added three blocks. He was credited with just one steal when it seemed he had a half dozen the way he disrupted the Cavaliers. It was a testament to the way the Bulls at least continued to compete in what probably was White's poorest game since his post All-Star breakout. And White still scored 20 on a bad day.

White had nine of the Bulls 21 turnovers, which accounted for much of the Cleveland offense with 32 points.

The Cavaliers now with the lumbering Andre Drummond to join the lumbering Kevin Love were without their point guard, rookie Darius Garland. Sexton is a flash like White, but the Cavs don't work the ball much and play a lot of isolation. So the Cavaliers tried—and almost got away with—the 90s NBA game of big guys banging away inside. That game was undermined some by almost casual defense that on several occasions had Bulls players hesitating to take threes and no one even attempting to run at them. It was a new Cleveland oxymoron of enthusiastic indifference.

To the Bulls credit, you never see that lack of effort.

Coby White scored 20 points against the Cavs in his first career start.

One of the pivotal closing plays was a Tomas Satoransky offensive rebound to set up one of those shoot-already threes from Thad Young, which gave the Bulls a 100-93 lead with 3:22 left.

"Sato just goes out and competes, runs the ball down, knocks people over," praised Boylen. "He's got a great heart to play the game really hard. I thought overall Shaq and Sato were great at our compete level; that's what we have to do."

Satoransky in a bad post All-Star slump moved to the bench with White drawing his first—and much anticipated—start. Satoransky was predictably gracious about the move, supportive of White while accepting fault.

"I kind of expected that," said Satoransky, quietly fighting off a hyperextended thumb injury the last week. "I think it was logical with the way I have been playing since the All-Star break (under 20 percent on threes) and the way Coby's been playing. You just have to respect it. Sometimes that happens to you as a player. I'm just happy for him; he was helping us win the game. He's been balling out, so I felt like he deserved that chance."

Harrison probably is not going to start much longer as the Bulls are closing in on having their main starters together with Porter in his fifth game back from season long injury and Zach LaVine perhaps playing this weekend in Florida or back in Chicago Sunday. Harrison has been impressing the way he's been dominating the rebounding as the Bulls smallest player in the game at about 6-4. Denzel Valentine and Lauri Markkanen both added 15 points and the Bulls hustled to 17 second chance points against the taller Cavaliers with Andre Drummond getting 21 points, but just seven rebounds.

Otto Porter Jr. contributed 15 points off the bench in the win.

Meanwhile, the most pivotal play was Harrison's offensive rebound. That came with the Cavaliers in one of the worst shooting displays of the season missing 16 of 18 threes. Suddenly they made four in five attempts to get within 103-101 with 1:26 left. White ran a nice two-man game to get Carter a pair of free throws for a 105-101 lead with 1:11 left as Carter had his liveliest effort since his return from an ankle sprain.

Sexton then committed a turnover and the Cavs began to trap with the clock below a minute. Harrison got stuck in the backcourt, so with the eight-second clock expiring, Boylen sprinted onto the court for a timeout and added another to advance the ball. The Bulls loused up the strategy with a turnover. But it was Shaq when needed just like the Lakers used to say.

"We came out and fought hard," said White. "We finished on a good note. Wasn't pretty, but we gutted it through and we played tough and played with grit, so it was good. Exciting (to start) and get a win my first one. It's a blessing to be starting in the NBA. I'm just trying to stay locked in and focused on the game and what I've got to do to help my team win. You want to do good and play good and you want to help your team win."

Coby White had 20 points in his first career NBA start.

White did so as the symmetry wasn't lost on the United Center fans as the pregame introduction declared, "From North Carolina…"

Like the wins as the Bulls have been getting close often despite the revolving door of injuries, substitutions and mishaps. The Bulls again were without LaVine as he turned 25 years old Tuesday. Cleveland led 29-27 after the first quarter and then the Bulls took the handoff for a 54-52 halftime lead in a game with 30 ties and lead changes. The Cavs dropped to 19-46. The Bulls went ahead by seven points late in the third only to have the Cavaliers finish 9-2 for the tie after three quarters.

And then the Bulls took control, Harrison with a tipin score, Valentine with a pair of threes, Satoransky finally with a three on one of White's five assists, Carter getting some of that lift back for a score and then Harrison getting to the right spot at the right time to keep the Bulls from being left behind.

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Coby White scores 20 in first career start as Bulls beat Cavs 108-103

Sam Smith

The Bulls were plus-21 in the turnover margin but was unable to consistently take advantage of those opportunities, falling to the Brooklyn Nets 110-107.

From George Washington in the Revolutionary War against the British to the Dodgers against the Yankees and Giants to my high school dating experiences to the Bulls Sunday in their 110-107 loss to the Nets, Brooklyn may just be where dreams and hopes go to die.

The Bulls with yet another don't-change-the-station fourth quarter tumult, nevertheless, fell to 21-43 with their 13th loss in the last 15 games, and perhaps most significantly eight games behind Orlando for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot with 18 games remaining.

The plucky if not always proficient Bulls chased a 13-point deficit with 3:08 remaining down to a three-point Brooklyn lead with 15.3 seconds left when the Bulls forced yet another turnover, the Nets' shocking 29th. In a curious interpretation, Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn said the basketballs were unusually slippery. Newer, and presumably stickier, balls were substituted. No wonder the Nets had to change coaches Saturday despite being seventh in the East without their two best players.

The Bulls got a timeout and ran a sweet play to get Coby White a wide open three for the tie.

Shaquille Harrison cleared from the top. Lauri Markkanen popped out for the inbounds pass from White and handed back to White coming around from the left side over Markkanen's screen. The Nets switched. But Taurean Prince was slow to recognize White's range as White took one dribble. White from 30 feet straight on shot over Prince and the ball went in…hitting the left side of the rim, the front of the rim and then the back of the rim. And then popped out to Thaddeus Young, who lost the ball out of bounds.

"I thought it was in," said White, who had 21 points off the bench for his seventh game of at least 20 in the last eight (19 in the other). White also had eight assists and six rebounds

"I thought it was cash. Went in and out; that's (tough)," said White. "It looked good. I mean, yeah, I think everybody in the building thought it was going in. In and out. If it went in, it would have been great. It didn't."

Chuck Swirsky with BullsTV recaps tonight's loss to the Brooklyn Nets

Another familiar chapter in this oh so disappointing Bulls season.

Brooklyn inbounded to former Bull Spencer Dinwiddie, who led the Nets with 24 points. He made the second of two free throws for a 108-104 Nets lead with 3.6 seconds left.

And yet again in one of the more fantastic finishes, the Bulls got another three, this time from Otto Porter Jr., who led the Bulls with 23 points off the bench. Markkanen inbounded to Porter on the right side, opposite from where the previous play came. Porter came right toward the ball around stagger screens from White and Young. Porter went up for a 27 footer that banked in to bring the Bulls within one point at 108-107 with fourth tenths of a second left. It was the Bulls fifth three pointer in the last three minutes, though the Bulls overall were 12 of 34 on threes.

"We know one thing that anybody who plays us or any head coach never questions how hard we play," said White. "Every night we come out and play hard. One through whoever plays, we go out there and play hard. We put ourselves in position to win and even with everything we went through during the course of the game, we still had a chance to win."

Another crazy close like December in Washington when the Wizards fouled when all they had to do was deny an inbounds? There was a whistle. Offensive foul? The officials went to recheck, but Shaquille Harrison had fouled Dinwiddie. Harrison had clearly hooked Dinwiddie, who made both free throws when missing the second would have ended the game. Must have gone to my high school. The Bulls inbounds pass went to the Nets to end the game.

"I thought we battled the whole game," said Boylen. "We were fighting uphill, but I thought our spirit was really good. I thought we had opportunities that were really good opportunities. Coby was terrific. Lauri (16 points and just eight shots with four of five threes) was active and moving around. Thaddeus (17 points) kind of held it together for us in the third quarter (with seven straight points when Brooklyn took a 13-point lead). A lot of good things. We made some big shots down the stretch to make it a one-possession game. We gave ourselves a chance but didn't make enough plays at the end of the day."

That's a familiar review, and perhaps it now becomes time for another view.

Boylen last week finally cracked open the door the fan base has been trying to beat down the last few months to see White as a starter, especially with Zach LaVine. LaVine could return from a quad strain Tuesday at home against Cleveland. The Bulls go to Florida for two games after that and have the third toughest schedule remaining by virtue of opponent records.

"With Coby is there a point in time where he starts?" Boylen repeated in response to varying inquiries last week at practice "I think that day is probably coming. And is there a time when we look at the development side of this? We've talked all year about developing and winning. Is that day coming? I would say, 'Yes, probably.' When, I'm not exactly sure."

Coby White finished with 21 points off the bench.

It could be time, though White isn't quite ready.

"Right now we're just seeing what happens," said White. "If that's the road that we take, then that's the road that we take. At the end of the day, we just want to try to win some games and try to make one last push. But, like I said, we've just got to finish strong."

Though it would seem the best chance of finishing strong would be to start the best players. That would include Porter, who continued to come off the bench in his fourth game back after missing most of the season with a fractured foot. White reiterated it doesn't matter to him if he starts, though he played 35 minutes and just a few seconds fewer than leader Harrison. Porter says he's following medical protocol even as he played 25 minutes.

"My body still is trying to catch up to my mind," said Porter. "Overall just one day at a time. Talked to the trainers. What's the best way to bring me back without sitting me down for a long time? Everything was planned. When I'm ready, I'll be ready."

No one wants to rush or push Porter. But he is playing starter minutes already and the Bulls again had most of their best players coming off the bench with a ridiculous 65 points off the bench.

Harrison had another furious effort with eight rebounds, a block and four steals. But he was the only Bull to play the entire fourth quarter. He's probably a keeper, but not quite the future. With Porter getting regular playing time, White among the league's top guards since the All-Star break, Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. back and starting and LaVine perhaps returning Tuesday, there's finally a chance to see the presumed starting five of the future. Or at least next season's.

Tomas Satoransky has been slumping since the All-Star break, averaging 8.2 points and shooting 17 percent on threes. He shot one of seven Sunday with one assist in 25 minutes Sunday. Denzel Valentine added nine points starting again, but likely as a placeholder for LaVine.

Is it finally time to see what the Bulls have for next season and beyond? It certainly would be interesting.

Which it wasn't again most of the first half as the Nets closed the half with a 22-9 run behind Dinwiddie for a 58-50 halftime lead.

"They're just one of the better teams in terms of forcing you to play at more of a frantic pace and turning teams over," said the Nets Joe Harris, who scored 23. "So I think it's more of a testament to them than anything we did (regarding turnovers)."

Shaq Harrison played the entire fourth quarter and finished with four steals.

Especially with Harrison, who has assumed the Kris Dunn role, the Bulls were relentless with their traps, causing nine first quarter turnovers for a 23-22 lead. The Nets gained poise in the second quarter with the scoring of Chris LaVert, who also finished with 23 points. The Bulls have been among the league leaders all season in steals and forcing turnovers, which hasn't translated to wins. Even as the Bulls had just seven turnovers Sunday and a turnover margin of plus-21.

"We complained that (the ball) was a little bit too slippery, and Chicago did, too, and they changed the ball," said Vaughn. "I think that was the first seven (turnovers). The other 21, we'll have to look."

You know, like there's this bridge you might be interested in buying.

The problem for the Bulls also is by trapping and pressuring to cause steals, a positive, the Bulls often aren't in good rebounding position. The Nets had the size with DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen. The Nets had a 50-31 rebounding edge, predictably dominating the defensive boards. Daniel Gafford fouled out in 16 minutes in relief of Carter. Jordan had 15 rebounds in 29 minutes; the Bulls five starters totaled 17 rebounds in 137 minutes.

The Nets held off the Bulls in the third quarter, though the Bulls starters combined for just two baskets and the Bulls missed all seven threes. Young's late third quarter surge taking advantage of former Bull Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot enabled the Bulls to stay within 77-70 after three.

The Nets began to stretch out their lead most of the fourth quarter until the Bulls closed with White, Markkanen, Young and Porter. Who put on a heck of a show as the "reserves" had twice as many fourth quarter field goals as the starters.

"It's been multiple games where we've forced their hand at the end," said White. "We came together and just decided like always, we never quit fighting. We had a chance to win; that's what we do."

But will it be from the start? Or as we used to say about the Dodgers, "Wait 'til next year?"

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Otto Porter, Coby White provide spark off the bench but Bulls fall to Nets

Rookie Coby White had his second-straight 33 point game, Zach LaVine scored 32, and Thaddeus Young added 23 as the Bulls snapped their season-high eight-game losing streak by defeating the Wizards 126-117 on Sunday night.

One of the most lasting stories in theatrical fiction is that of the overnight star, the tale of love, discovery and grand success. For the Bulls Coby White, make that over two nights.

"Like I always say," the unruffled rookie was saying Sunday night after the Bulls 126-117 victory over the Washington Wizards that ended an eight-game losing streak, "I keep trying to get better each and every game. I feel like I'm taking the steps in the right direction and I've just got to keep it going and stay consistent."

White Sunday set all sorts of esoteric and otherwise marks with a second consecutive game scoring 33 points, the first rookie reserve in league history with back to back games of at least 30 points, the first Bulls rookie since Michael Jordan with back to back games of at least 30 points, matching Trae Young and Allen Iverson as the first rookie with back to back games of at least 33 points since 1992 and joining Zion Williamson as the only rookie this season with back to back 30-point games.

Chuck Swirsky recaps Chicago's win against the Washington Wizards.

Most crucial for the Bulls with the season slipping away was to get a victory. They're now 20-38 and hanging onto hope for a playoff spot, five games behind eighth place Orlando. The Bulls had perhaps their best all around offensive game of the season, though most teams do against the Wizards, as Zach LaVine had 32 points, Thaddeus Young had a season high 23 and Tomas Satoransky had 15 points, 13 assists and four steals without a turnover. The Bulls, however, were again late afternoon bakery style with the ball, malodorous with 29 stinky turnovers, nine from LaVine.

Though it also was LaVine with the clutch baskets in the fourth quarter when the Wizards had almost made a 25-point deficit disappear. When the Wizards, led by Bradley Beal's career high 53 points, got within seven points with about seven minutes left, it was LaVine with a three-point play.

"Zach obviously broke the (Bulls career three-point makes) record, but had a big night and made some big plays when it got to nine, eight, 10, 11," said Boylen. "He had the And-1, which was a huge play at that moment."

LaVine also had back to back baskets when the Wizards got back within eight with five minutes left, and then a pull up three with 2:45 left that finally put the Bulls out of Beal's range.

The victory was a relief, though perhaps academic the way this season has gone and with seven regulars still out injured. The development of White as a potentially elite scorer may be the shaft of light in this dark well of disappointment from which the Bulls are trying to extricate themselves.

Zach LaVine rises up for a tomahawk jam in the fourth quarter.

The confident, if also phlegmatic, rookie who broke Jordan's prep scoring record in North Carolina has bounced around this season amidst the injuries and uncertainties. He played point guard and shooting guard, played a lot and played a little, shot often and then not so much, was told to step back and shoot or jump forward and drive. His 20th birthday wasn't until last week. It can get very confusing. But he never questioned or complained, and more importantly with this Bulls team, he's never missed a game.

Perhaps other than the Rising Stars exhibition during All-Star weekend, which was perhaps the Bulls' biggest snub despite LaVine missing Sunday's game. White has come out of the All-Star break like he wanted to make a point—or a lot of them—to those philistine voters, alleged to be assistant coaches.

White is averaging 26 points since the All-Star break, surpassed among the U.S. Rising Stars players by only Williamson and Young. Some, like Devonte Graham, have played multiple games and not even totaled double figures in scoring. To paraphrase Fielding Mellish, that represents a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham. White also is averaging 17.7 points per game in February, which is no joke, and now top five among all rookies in total points scored and assists and leading in threes made and games played. White's 16 first quarter points when the Bulls took a 35-31 lead was second highest among rookies this season, and his 26 points in the first half as the Bulls led 73-58 was the most points in a half of any rookie this season.

Of course, White demurred when it was suggested he was participating in the grand NBA tradition of, I'll Show You.

"Obviously you want play in the Rising Stars game," said White. "You want to use that as fuel, but it wasn't like I'm mad about it or I'm going to go out there and kill. It was more like got to keep being me. I always play with a chip on my shoulder and always go out there and play hard, so that's what I have to keep doing."

Coby White became the first Bulls rookie with back-to-back 30-point games since Michael Jordan.

There's also been a growing chorus that White should join the starters given his scoring production, and especially the way the Bulls so often fall behind to start games. Again, they trailed 12-5, and it actually was Young who got the Bulls going early with his three point shooting, joining both LaVine and White making at least five threes.

Boylen has maintained White doesn't need to be rushed, and Boylen may be correct about that since White lately plays more than 30 minutes off the bench, has been evolving and is just 20 years old.

"We have a second group that is playing good again and we are also melding Coby in that first group," Boylen said. "Coming off a two 33-point games, I don't know if it makes sense to (start him). We'll examine it and look at it. We'll try to keep this going."

Boylen also pointed out White's playing improvements, which have helped his play become more consistent.

"He's been aggressive in transition; I think his finishing has been terrific," Boylen said. "I think he's had the ball up and out. He's got it out of his stomach, something he's working on. I thought he's changed speeds in the full court. You don't always have to be at full speed. You can let guys run by you, let guys catch up to you, and I thought he's done that. He's found his seams, almost like a halfback in football. He has to wait for that tackle to create that hole and then he takes his bursts. I think he's done a real good job at those things. He's very coachable and worked, so good things happen."

Boylen is correct in the way White has made some of those subtle adjustments, getting fewer shots blocked at the basket and analyzing the defense better.

"I feel like I'm in a good position," White said. "This year for me wasn't about starting. It was about me getting better during the season. That's the main thing in this league, just getting better. He (Boylen) pushes me to be a good player and that's the type of coach I want."

There'll long be a debate about whether he's a point guard or shooting guard, though the terms have become blurred in the NBA these days. No one who played in the NBA during its first 50 years would have considered Russell Westbrook a point guard. For now, it seems apparent White's greatest strength is his ability to score. Which is important in the NBA since they still add up the points for victory.

Earlier in the season, White was getting his shot off with a 45-degree angle step back off the dribble. Teams adjusted and he slumped some. He's been quicker with his shot, and especially identifying scoring opportunities. Like LaVine, he is probably the only Bulls player who can manufacture a shot late in the clock, as he did several times. With LaVine getting trapped on just about every possession, White took advantage of his openings. He made five threes Sunday and was 11 of 18 overall. Though my favorite was a simple drive late in the third quarter.

Chuck Swirsky interviews Coby White after the Bulls' Sunday night win against Washington.

The Wizards are the worst defensive team in the NBA; though some days the Cavs make it a good contest. The Wizards switch pick and roll on defense, which is an NBA staple to get a mismatch. I'm usually amazed even with clever players like Chris Paul that they'll get a big man switched onto them and instead of driving past the slower man, will dribble between their legs numerous times and shoot a step back. If they make it, the announcers invariably commend them for taking advantage of the mismatch. What?

White drew that switch late in the third on lumbering Thomas Bryant with the Bulls leading 97-85. White stepped back and whizzed by for the layup score, the obvious and intelligent play. He added a pair of free throws to close the quarter for a 101-85 Bulls lead.

You know these Bulls aren't going to make things easy. And Beal just kept bashing his way inside against various guard-heavy incarnations that occasionally had Daniel Gafford or Cristiano Felicio roaming around. Beal would score 21 points in the fourth quarter, nine at the free throw line. And with LaVine and White sharing three turnovers, the Wizards got within 107-100 before LaVine isolated Beal and beat him for a three-point play. Their matchup was great stuff.

Beal came back with a matching three-point play. But then Young got a rolling dunk off a slick pass from Satoransky. It's unfortunate Satoransky isn't more of a journeyman. If he had played for more teams, he might be the answer for the Bulls. He's averaged about 18 points against the Wizards, his season high again teams the Bulls have played more than once and is top five in opponents against the Wizards in assists and threes. His offensive rating against the Wizards is his best. Unfortunately, the Bulls are finished with the 20-35 Wizards at 3-1. So at least they win that potential tiebreaker.

Tomas Satoransky had 15 points and 13 assists against his former team.

The Bulls host Oklahoma City Tuesday and then play five of their next eight on the road, though only one against a team with a winning record. So hope survives. While Coby White grows.

"You see how explosive he is," said LaVine. "Trying to figure out some nicknames for him. Like propane or gasoline or something like that. His scoring is special. He can do it in a variety of ways. Kid's good. He's real good."

He's White Hot lately; torrid. He can make you go gaga.

coby-white-and-zach-lavine-combine-for-65-points-as-bulls-take-down-wizards

Coby White and Zach LaVine combine for 65 points as Bulls take down Wizards

Rookie Coby White had perhaps the best game of his young career so far with 33 points on 11-for-22 shooting but the team's 26 turnovers were too much to overcome, falling to Phoenix 112-104 on Saturday night.

Zach LaVine has a dream, a basketball dream. Bulls rookie Coby White appears in it, and Zach is smiling.

"You love having a dude like that on your team," LaVine was saying late Saturday night after the Bulls 112-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns in reflecting on White's career high 33 points.

"He was due for one of these games," said LaVine, the Bulls scoring leader. "He really could have had 40 the way he was shooting the ball; he kept us in the second half. He's an explosive scorer. We've seen that so many times where that dude will catch fire like gasoline; he gets hot quick. You need scoring threats on the court (the way the NBA is now). And that's something he definitely brings.

"We'll see what this turns into," said LaVine. "But we could obviously be a good one/two punch scoring wise because he can score with the best of them."

Highlights from Coby White's 33-point performance against Phoenix.

The Bulls have to search for hope in this disappointing season with an eighth consecutive loss Saturday and the record dropping to 19-38. With Luke Kornet joining six other regulars out injured—Otto Porter Jr., Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Denzel Valentine and Chandler Hutchison—the chance for a playoff spot continues to dim.

But if that dark cloud of misfortunate continues to hang over the franchise, the shaft of light is the play of White and what it might be alongside LaVine.

Though White is a rookie and has come off the bench in limited minutes at times, he is tied with Miami's Kendrick Nunn for most three pointers made among rookies. White hasn't missed a game and is 10th among rookie scorers at 11.5 per game. Only one rookie scoring more points is playing less, Memphis's Brandon Clarke.

White has been in the Bulls rotation all season, though with varied roles and playing time, sometimes 33 minutes and the next game 17. But now with the injuries, Bulls coach Jim Boylen has been forced to use White more. The rookie has responded and often has been the fan favorite in the United Center. He is averaging 19.7 points the last three games.

"Like I said at the beginning of the season, the main thing for me this season was just to get better each and every game and throughout the season," White said. "I feel like I am doing that and I'm getting better and I'm improving. I feel I've improved tremendously since Summer League. I'm just trying to get better, help my team get wins. That's what I am focused on. I still get a lot of minutes coming off the bench. As long as I'm on the floor, that's all I care about."

Coby White joined Brandon Jennings and Landry Shamet as the only rookies in NBA history to hit seven three-pointers in multiple games.

Boylen said he prefers to keep White with the reserve unit, especially because it gives him more opportunity to be the lead guard for that unit. Though White Saturday had two assists in 34 minutes.

"I like where Coby is at," Boylen said. "I like his position. He has a voice in that second group. He's learning how to play the lead guard position in that second group. We're going to keep him right there for now."

And those deep bench minutes men almost carried the Bulls to the streak breaker with a 51-15 bench advantage despite LaVine being pressured into seven turnovers while scoring 20 points and a team high five assists. But Tomas Satoransky was scoreless in 23 minutes missing all eight shots. Fellow starters Thaddeus Young and Ryan Arcidiacono each scored 13 points.

"I thought we got a lot from our second group," said Boylen about the reserves with Cristiano Felicio, Shaquille Harrison and Adam Mokoka joining White. "The pace and the energy they played with was the difference in that first half. Got to give those guys credit. They basically had one shootaround together with Mokoka at the four. They battled and played the way we wanted to play. We knocked some balls loose in the first half. We turned them over 16 times (for 24 first half points). We had a good thing going (with a 57-47 halftime lead). I didn't like the start to the third."

That old bugaboo bit again as the 23-34 Suns ripped off a 13-0 second half start against the Bulls starters, and then it was a see-saw the rest of the way. The Suns led 83-80 after three quarters when Devin Booker scored 13 of his 29 points in the third quarter. The Bulls rode nine White points in two minutes to a 94-90 lead with 8:49 left in the game. But Suns center Deandre Ayton with 28 points and 19 rebounds, seven offensive in the fourth quarter, finally dominated the Bulls series of shaky four-guard lineups. The Bulls committed 15 second half turnovers and 26 for the game leading to 30 Suns points. Though it was mostly entertaining as the Bulls had 25 fast break points. Phoenix got ahead by eight with with 3:10 left and weren't threatened.

It led to a brief post game meeting between Boylen and LaVine as the team attempts to navigate through the minefield of defeats and explosions of their hopes in the distance.

Zach LaVine drives past Phoenix's Devin Booker on Saturday night.

"When we're not organized it gets a little hectic out there, especially with the group we have now," said LaVine. "It just gets frustrating when you are not winning. I think everybody gets frustrated. I just wish we were in the game at the end of games. It gets tough when you start losing; I want to be a winner. We were just talking about some things throughout the game, player-coach things we talk about every once in a while. Sometimes we call a play and dudes are on the wrong page and you get forced into something you don't want, a bad play or bad shot. It's easier when you are organized at the end of games. We've got dudes who haven't played out there for awhile; so it's tough. It's just where we're at."

Though the larger question may be where they are going.

With LaVine and White, the Bulls have two potentially exceptional backcourt scorers. Both are about 6-5, so they can switch defensively, and both are high level three-point shooters, an appealing possibility in today's game.

Though the Bulls appear to be working White toward a point—or what's now called lead—guard role, he seems much better and more comfortable in an off the ball scoring role. Most of his points came that way against the Suns.

"Coby is going to score when he's on the ball, he's going to score when he's off the ball.," said Boylen. "He's not a guy that's always on the ball and he's not a guy that's always off the ball. That's the beauty of his game; he can do a little bit of both."

"It doesn't really matter," said White. "I feel the same on or off the ball. It was just today Jevon Carter really denied the ballhandler, so it would just be easier for Arch or Shaq to bring it up."

Chuck Swirsky recaps Chicago's loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Of course, White just turned 20 in his rookie season. So it's premature to consider what he can and can't do. Though he has a special ability, as LaVine said, to get to a boil fast. Even while everyone is looking.

In recent months, it's seemed like White has concentrated on being a facilitator. As a result, he only scored more than 20 points once since Nov. 23. But in that first month of the season when the Bulls were using both LaVine and White as scorers, the Bulls were 3-1 when each scored at least 25 points in a game. The only loss was to the first place Bucks.

It does appear the way White can go into shooting streaks and score off the dribble with his speed, his combination with LaVine could prove exceptional. Perhaps like a version of Portland's Lillard and McCollum, but with more size. It seems like there are possibilities. Of course, all the pieces aren't exactly there. Can LaVine be a wing scorer? Can the Bulls find a distributor who can also be a potent offensive threat? DO they have one? How about when Markkanen can join them? If the Bulls really want to play that perimeter based shooting game, those three together might be a requirement.

The Bulls still hope to work injured players like Markkanen, Porter and Carter back into the rotation in the coming days or weeks. So roles and playing time will fluctuate. But there just might be some there there to relieve, at least, some of Zach's anxiety and frustration. Maybe give it a shot. Give the Bulls that shot in the arm, as it were.

"I just hit shots; that was the difference," said White. "My mom's here, so she put me a good mood. I'm just trying to stay more consistent on both ends of the court. Offense and defense, just trying to stay more consistent and build some consistency. Some games I shoot the ball well; some games I don't. I know there are ups and downs. I'm just trying to find the line where I can do it consistently on most nights."

coby-white-explodes-for-33-points-in-saturday-night-defeat-to-phoenix

Coby White explodes for 33 points in Saturday night defeat to Phoenix

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