Winning streaks have not been easy to come by for the Bulls this season.
Prior to Monday night, they had just one that extended past two games, and it was back in December. Monday night, the Bulls — led by their backcourt tandem of Coby White and Josh Giddey — controlled the Pacers from the moment the ball was tipped. White and Giddey both finished with a game-high 29 points in the Bulls’ 121-103 win over the Pacers, extending their streak to three wins for just the second time this season.
“We came in with a level of focus and the level of physicality that we needed for this game,” White said.
Giddey limped off the court and back to the locker room after rolling his right ankle with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
“Sprained ankle,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I probably won’t know how severe it is until a day or two.”
The immediate concern is that it’s the same ankle Giddey injured earlier in the season.
Before the game, Donovan spoke at length about the partnership White and Giddey have established on the court late in the season. Getting to know each other’s tendencies took time, but Donovan said their dialogue has stood out in the process.
“The more you’re out there with somebody on a regular basis, the more things you go through, you see people at their best and you see them at their worst,” Donovan said. “You see them frustrated, you see them excited, you see a lot with them. Then you learn how to work with each other.”
White’s impact this season, specifically since the Bulls traded Zach LaVine, is particularly noteworthy, including to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.
“I’d have to say he’s more aggressive,” Carlisle said. “44 points the other night, right? And then the Miami game, he didn’t have a particularly great night, and he just kept attacking, attacking, attacking and made big plays at the end. I’m not sure why he’s not mentioned much for most improved.”
Last year, White finished second behind the 76ers Tyrese Maxey for the league’s Most Improved Player award. This year the Piston’s Cade Cunningham is the betting favorite for the award.
Still, White’s improved impact on the Bulls is undeniable. Since LaVine was traded to the Kings, White is averaging 20.4 points and 4.1 assists, including his career-high night against the Magic last week.
The following game White was scoreless from three, but his response is what caught Donovan’s attention.
“It didn’t impact him competing in the game,” Donovan said. “He found different ways to help the group, and he got the rim more.
It’s always easy to lead when you score 44 points. How you lead when you go 0-for-8 and it’s not going well offensively for you, that’s been the encouraging piece to me.”
In Tyrese Haliburton’s absence, the Pacers were adrift. Myles Turner led his team with 15 points and Pascal Siakam added 13. As a team, the Pacers shot 39.6% from the field and 25% from three.
Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams’ return created an interesting rotation for Donovan. Zach Collins started with Vucevic and Williams on a minutes restriction, but he ended up playing just nine minutes in the first half.
Vucevic logged 24 minutes and finished with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Williams struggled. He played just 11 minutes despite Donovan saying pregame he would be maxed at 24 minutes. Collins closed the game with Vucevic and Williams on the bench.
“I thought \[Vucevic\] found a rhythm offensively,” Donovan said. “I didn’t start him because the minutes were between 24 and 28.
“For \[Williams,\] he was trying to be aggressive and find his way. He just looked a little bit rusty to me.”