The Chicago Bulls offense gave the Atlanta Hawks more than they could handle en route to a 131-116 victory in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday.
Coby White was a highlight in terms of shooting, turnovers and scoring as the Bulls guard finished with a career-high 42 points on 15-of-21 shooting. DeMar DeRozan added 22 points and nine assists in victory to eliminate the Hawks and set up a winner-take-all matchup against the Miami Heat on Friday.
Hurricane Coby 🌪️🌪️🌪️ pic.twitter.com/4X4zN5lX2l
– Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 18, 2024
Although White and DeRozan shined the most on the court for the Bulls, center Nikola Vučević and Ayo Dosunmu participated in the offensive explosion with 24 and 19 points, respectively. Vučević led Chicago with 12 total rebounds.
Chicago took an 18-point lead in the first quarter, but allowed Atlanta to score 45 points in the second quarter and get within six by halftime. White then slammed the door on the Hawks, scoring 25 of his game-high 42 points in the second half.
The Bulls once again effectively slowed down Hawks star Trae Young, limiting him to 22 points on 4-of-12 shooting and 10 assists. The Hawks shot just 11 of 37 from 3-point range.
Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points while Clint Capela contributed 22 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
What’s next for the Bulls?
A rematch of last year’s Play-in Tournament matchup with the Miami Heat, who lost to Philadelphia in the East’s 7-8 game. Chicago had a chance to earn the eighth seed last season, but wilted in the final minutes in Miami. The Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. Their playoff run gave the Bulls hope that if they remained competitive throughout the regular season, they might be able to put together an improbable march as well.
The injury news to Heat star Jimmy Butler, who may have suffered a sprained MCL in Miami’s loss to the Sixers, adds another reason for the Bulls to believe they can win on the road and sneak into the playoffs after climbing from 10th place. — Darnell Mayberry, Bulls senior writer
What happened to Atlanta?
The Hawks played a game through a half, but they were short on players and, as always, their defense wasn’t good enough.
Without the services of Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, and with late-season rotation addition Vit Krejčí oddly unsigned to the playoff roster, Atlanta was shorthanded from the first tip. Disastrous runs from the bench units late in the first and third quarters helped send the game out of control, including a strange cameo from little-used rookie Mouhamed Gueye.
With Young still limited by a left finger injury and De’Andre Hunter having his worst game of the season, the Hawks didn’t have enough firepower to offset their terrible defense. Even after a lucky moment when Bulls teammates Andre Drummond and Alex Caruso collided and knocked Caruso — by far Chicago’s best defender — out of the game, Atlanta didn’t have the courage to respond.
Ultimately, the league’s 27th-ranked defense gave up 131 points on 57 percent shooting to one of the league’s most classic offensive teams, a cornerstone of a sometimes entertaining but ultimately little season. serious. — John Hollinger, NBA Senior Writer
What’s next for the Hawks?
After a year of front office paralysis in which trades for Murray (and others) were courted but never completed, this offseason’s attention will likely turn to Young’s future.
The logic is simple: Atlanta’s guards don’t get along, despite the multiple unprotected picks sent by the Hawks to get Murray to join forces with Young, and if they had had an offer they liked for Murray, they would have already accepted it. Look for rumors that the Lakers, in particular, will heat up if Los Angeles fails to advance past its first-round series against Denver. The other thing Atlanta can’t do is tank, though, because of the same picks they gave the Spurs in the Murray deal.
The Hawks also have other moves to think about this offseason. Can they afford to continue paying Capela and Okongwu now that Okongwu is entering a four-year, $63 million extension? Is there enough money to bring back Saddiq Bey, a restricted free agent they acquired at the 2023 trade deadline? And can they succeed in the draft, a draft in which they are likely to pick 10th and could also land a pick at 15th if Sacramento wins its play-in game against New Orleans on Friday?
Johnson, who had a breakout year that was the best story in an otherwise forgettable season, is likely to receive an extension before his 2025 free agency, and the Hawks will also have to find other ways to bring in Kobe Bufkin, 2023 first rounder. shuffle.
Above this situation are an inexperienced and timid front office, as well as owners who have been unwilling to pay the luxury tax. The Hawks enter the summer with an estimated $5 million on that line, depending on where their draft pick falls and whether another one comes from the Kings, and will have some tough decisions to make. — Hollinger
Required reading
(Photo: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)