A head of tonight’s game, the Chicago Bulls are resting guard Coby White for their road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As reported by ESPN, White, who is in the middle of a breakout year, will be rested after receiving a high-minutes load in the midst of their Play-in push. The Bulls are on the first night of a back to back, but the team is opting to rest him against the 62-16 Cavs team who look to clinch the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
White’s emergence has helped lead the Bulls into the Play-In tournament and is solidifying himself as a central piece of Chicago’s future. In his sixth season, White is averaging a career high 20.7 points to go along with 3.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game and a career best 45.5% from the field. Over the past three games alone, White has averaged 32 points per game and went 11/21 from three-point range. The Bulls sitting White comes on the heels of a 37 point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. White was also named the the Eastern Conference Player of the month for March.
Though White is a huge loss against the Cavaliers, the game isn’t viewed as a must win. Even with star guard Donovan Mitchell out, the Bulls weren’t favored against the Cavs and this is a rare opportunity to get rest for a game with more stakes. The Bulls are half a game ahead of the Miami Heat, and with a loss vs. Cleveland would tie, making the Wednesday matchup between the Bulls and the Heat a must win for both teams, which is where the Bulls need White more.
Chicago Bulls are resting guard Coby White as they face the Cavaliers tonight at 7:00 Eastern.
