The Chicago Bulls pulled out a major victory over division rival Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, thanks in large part to the heroics of DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan dropped a season-high 46 points in a 132-129 win, with the veteran shooting guard assuming a bigger scoring load after Coby White exited the game with five seconds left in the fourth quarter after sustaining an injury after Pascal Siakam landed on him hard following a nasty chasedown block.
White did not return to the game and finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists, doing just enough to keep the Bulls within striking distance before they claimed the victory in overtime. Alas, rest is just a suggestion for the Bulls, as they are scheduled to play tomorrow night when the Los Angeles Clippers visit in town.
Coby White’s status for that game remains uncertain, however, due to what head coach Billy Donovan revealed is a hip injury that the Bulls guard suffered after Siakam landed squarely on his back, forcing him to do the splits. Per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Donovan said that White is set to undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury he sustained.
The good news is that, per Johnson, the Bulls guard is “in good spirits” in the postgame locker room, as he was seen “laughing with teammates and smiling” after their huge win over the Pacers.
Bulls guard Coby White’s Most Improved Player campaign put on hold?
Coby White, fresh off signing a three-year, $36 million deal with the Bulls this past offseason, has taken his game to the next level throughout the 2023-24 campaign. White has rewarded the team’s faith to name him as the team’s starting point guard, averaging 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 45/39/84 shooting splits. And the best part is that White has not yet missed a game for the Bulls this season, suiting up and starting in all of Chicago’s 66 games thus far this season.
However, it looked like White sustained a pretty painful injury. Given the quick turnaround between the Bulls’ games in this back-to-back set, there is certainly a chance that they hold White out due to precautionary reasons.
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