Coby White scored 24 points and made the go-ahead free throw following an away-from-the-ball foul with 1.9 seconds left to give the Chicago Bulls a 126-123 come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
With the game tied 123-123 and the Bulls inbounding the ball, White got tangled up with Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher, who was called for the foul.
After White made his foul shot, Chicago retained the ball. Nikola Vucevic sank two free throws with 1.5 seconds to go, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s missed on a heave at the buzzer.
The Bulls trailed by 10 points with 5:50 remaining before the Hawks went on a 13-2 run. Chicago took a 120-119 lead when Atlanta’s Vit Krejci was called for goaltending on Tre Jones’ layup with 1:20 left. Atlanta tied the game with 1.9 seconds on a layup by Alexander-Walker.
Chicago earned its fourth consecutive win and swept the three-game season series with Atlanta. The Hawks took their fourth straight loss.
Vucevic had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and teammate Josh Giddey recorded 19 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season. Matas Buzelis scored 15 points but left the game with 6:42 remaining due to an apparent leg injury and did not return.
Atlanta was led by Jalen Johnson with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, his 11th straight double-double. Trae Young added 22 points and 15 assists, and Alexander-Walker finished with 21 points.
Alexander-Walker made 5 of 6 from the field and scored 12 points in the first quarter to help the Hawks take a 36-30 lead.
First-round pick Asa Newell scored seven points in the second quarter when Atlanta’s bench produced 17 points. The reserves enabled the Hawks to build an 18-point lead midway in the quarter and take a 68-55 edge into halftime. White led the Bulls with 11 first-half points, including three 3-pointers.
Chicago got as close as six points in the third quarter on a basket by Giddey with 8:38 left, but the Hawks called timeout and outscored the Bulls 30-23 through the rest of the period to lead 105-92 entering the fourth.
The Hawks played without starting guard Dyson Daniels (right hip inflammation) and reserve center Mouhamed Gueye (right shoulder sprain). Atlanta’s Kristaps Porzingis missed his seventh straight game with an illness.
