In their preseason opener on Tuesday night, the Chicago Bulls picked up a 116-112 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, thanks in part to UNC basketball product Coby White’s efficient production.
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White delivered a game-high 21 points against the Cavaliers, shooting 7-for-15 from the field, 3-for-7 beyond the arc, and 4-for-6 at the charity stripe. Plus, the 24-year-old guard out of Goldsboro, N.C., who heard his name No. 7 overall at the 2019 NBA Draft following his sensational one-and-done stay in Chapel Hill, tallied three rebounds, three assists, and zero turnovers across his 25 minutes as a starter.
Coby White scores 21 PTS in #NBAPreseason action as the @chicagobulls defeat the Cavs! pic.twitter.com/gmwhtejrWb
— NBA (@NBA) October 9, 2024
Last season, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound White came in second in NBA Most Improved Player voting after seeing action in 79 games for a Bulls squad that finished 39-43 overall. He averaged a career-high 19.1 points, a massive improvement from his 9.7 mark in 2022-23. Plus, he chipped in 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per outing while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from deep, and 83.8 percent at the foul line.
Coby White and the Chicago Bulls will now gear up to host the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently employ recent five-year UNC basketball big man Armando Bacot for preseason play, at 8 p.m. ET Saturday (NBA League Pass).
The Bulls tip off their regular season on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23.
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