SUMMARY
- The Atlanta Hawks were just eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Chicago Bulls.
- Coby White was the star of the night, with 42 points against the Hawks.
The 24-year-old has been truly phenomenal for the Bulls this year, and his 42-point performance summed it up best. White also put up 9 rebounds and 6 assists when it mattered the most. Nikola Vucevic stepped up for the team with his playmaking skills as well, racking up 12 assists against the Hawks.
Speaking of the ATL-based team, Dejounte Murray was the standout performer for them. The guard scored 30 points on the night, and Trae came in second for scoring with 22 points as well. The two guards have been the best players for the Hawks in the last few seasons, which could explain the franchise’s shortcomings.
Trae Young speaks about the Hawks’ injury-ridden season
One of the main reasons why the Hawks failed to deliver despite having a decent roster is the injuries. Trae has been suffering setbacks often, with ligament and finger injuries to just name a few. After the loss against the Bulls, Young spoke to the media about the Hawks’ injuries.
He said, “At the beginning of the year we didn’t feel like we’d be in this position. Injuries made it tough on us, and we were able to still be in this position to give ourselves a chance. Give ourselves a chance and just didn’t come out and making up plays and I mean, that’s just part of it there, making a lot of plays.”
Speaking about the Bulls’ performances, Trae said, “Coby got going. I’m mean Vusovich was playing really well. Everybody really played really, well.”
As mentioned earlier, the Hawks have been quite unfortunate this year, often having some of their key players out with injuries. That certainly tied their hands, preventing them from gaining momentum as the season progressed.
The Chicago Bulls will face the Miami Heat next
The Miami Heat are coming off quite a narrow loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid and Co. managed to come out on top with a 104-105, thanks to a 23-point performance from Joel Embiid. Following the recent win against the Hawks, the Bulls are all set to face the Miami Heat next. That will certainly be a tougher battle than what the Hawks fought.
The Heat are known to be more intense in the postseason, and their star player Jimmy Butler has sent out a message once again that the aim is to win it all this season. They still have the same team that went to the NBA Finals last year, and that will be a problem for the Bulls in the next game. The Heat are a team that are not filled with superstars who focus on individual performances, but a team that consists of players that think about the team as a whole.
The Heat will perform as a solidified unit and every role will execute his role perfectly. The Bulls will have to figure out a way to break them down to make it to the next round. We will have the finalized playoff bracket in just over a few days, and it is sure that we’re in for an intense postseason.