UNC Basketball: Coby White has big second half, fuels Chicago to victory

Former UNC basketball standout Coby White fueled the Chicago Bulls to victory on Sunday night behind a scorching-hot second half performance.

Chicago Bulls second-year point guard Coby White wasn’t going to let a slow start against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night deter him from having an impact on the game’s final result.

The former Tar Heel scored just two points in a difficult first half that included a turnover and two personal fouls within the first three minutes of the game. White continued to struggle with turnovers and missed shots for the remainder of the first half, despite spending much of it on the bench in early foul trouble.

Whatever White did during halftime, though, should probably become a normal routine.

Less than a minute into the third quarter, White knocked down a 23-foot go-ahead three-pointer, and everything seemed to click for him from then on. He hit another three-pointer in the quarter, and distributed the ball much better than he had in the previous two periods. He was also active for Chicago on the defensive glass, where he ultimately pulled down six of his seven rebounds for the game.

But then came one of the best quarters of White’s young career, when he notched 15 points in the game’s final frame. His contributions fueled the Bulls to a 118-108 victory over the struggling Mavericks, who happened to be without All-NBA superstar Luka Doncic (left quad contusion).

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1345934890735263746

White scored 23 points in total, including 21 in the second half on a terrific 6-for-10 shooting performance from the floor, and 4-of-7 beyond the arc. He hit all five of his free throw attempts for the game, and his seven rebounds tied the season-high that he set against the Golden State Warriors on December 27. He also dished out four assists — his fifth game this season with at least four dimes — and had a seven-point plus/minus during his 33 minutes on the court.

White certainly has his ups and downs, but continues to show flashes like he did on Sunday night when his scorching-hot fourth quarter fueled the Bulls to their third victory of the season.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Coby White, and former UNC basketball alumni throughout the NBA and around the globe.