Coby White was so hot on Friday night that Milwaukee streets are now flooded with melted cheese.
The Chicago Bulls’ guard showed everyone that his breakout 2023-24 campaign was anything but a fluke during the team’s second regular season game. Pitted against a Bucks team with Eastern Conference Finals aspirations, White looked like one of the best players on the floor. He finished the night with a team-high 35 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. The +16 performance also featured a 12-20 shooting display from the field and a 7-13 effort from long range.
The Bulls would ultimately finish the night with 21 made threes, which is their most in a game since January 1, 2021 (funny enough, also against the Bucks).
Every time the ball left White’s hands, it felt like it was dropping through the net. And the many groans from the Fiserv Forum stands proved exactly that. His sense of urgency and hot shooting hand set the tone for the entire team, which spoke to his increasing capacity to take on a leadership role both on and off the court.
I have to admit, I was worried after opening night. White’s role appeared far too undefined after a season where he looked like a genuine building block. The return of Zach LaVine and the ball-handling needs of Josh Giddey felt like it was about to significantly impact his night-to-night opportunities. However, this was a perfect example of why White must remain an essential part of the game plan.
Anyway, the NBA was quick to recognize White spoiling the Bucks’ home opener. I’ll drop the highlights below from the league’s YouTube channel. Let yourself have some playful Bulls optimism and enjoy! You can also check out the box score and player grades from tonight’s game here.