Coby White, Bulls finish strong to extend Timberwolves’ losing streak

Coby White scored a team-high 22 points and the Chicago Bulls finished with a 9-0 run to post a 120-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Minneapolis.

Josh Giddey added 21 points after missing the last 11 games with a left hamstring strain. Jalen Smith scored 17 points, and Matas Buzelis and Tre Jones each had 12. Isaac Okoro and Nikola Vucevic finished with 10 points apiece for the Bulls, who have won four of their last five.

Julius Randle’s 30 points paced Minnesota, while Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid scored 20 apiece. Jaden McDaniels chipped in 16 points for the Timberwolves, who dropped their fourth straight game. Rudy Gobert collected 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Trailing by a point at halftime, Chicago outscored Minnesota 33-29 in the third quarter, taking a 93-90 lead on Giddey’s layup with 26.8 seconds remaining in the period.

From there, Kevin Huerter’s only 3-pointer gave the Bulls their largest lead to that point at 98-93 with 9:39 left in the fourth. Chicago’s advantage grew to seven on Smith’s triple before Reid’s dunk stamped a 13-0 Minnesota run, giving the Timberwolves a 110-104 lead with 5:08 remaining.

White’s layup at the 3:39 mark snapped Chicago’s five-plus minute drought without a field goal, trimming the Bulls’ deficit to three.

Smith’s dunk pulled Chicago within a point before McDaniels and White traded triples, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 115-114 with 1:06 remaining.

After McDaniels’ turnover, Jones’ layup gave the Bulls a one-point edge with 31.1 seconds left. Edwards then missed a 3-pointer and Smith made a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to push the lead to three.

Edwards missed another 3-pointer and White sealed the win with two foul shots.

Minnesota made six of its first 11 3-point attempts, taking a 26-12 lead on Reid’s triple. Chicago then answered with a 12-0 run, cutting its deficit to two on Giddey’s layup.

Reid’s third 3-pointer of the quarter gave the Timberwolves a 32-26 lead entering the second.

Randle’s back-to-back baskets extended Minnesota’s lead to 10 before Okoro’s 3-pointer and Buzelis’ triple and dunk pulled the Bulls within two with 5:07 left in the first half.

Giddey’s floater with 40.5 seconds remaining gave the Bulls their first lead of the game at 58-57. A pair of McDaniels free throws with less than a second left gave Minnesota a 61-60 halftime advantage.

–Field Level Media