"This will hurt us awhile" - Coby White on a stinging last-second loss to the Phoenix Suns

White said that loss will linger for a while.

© Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White has that floppy hairstyle and beaming smile that may lead people to believe he is as carefree as they come. But beneath all that is a fierce competitor who takes losses to heart. And that was evident after the Bulls’ heartbreaking last-second loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

Fiery start, deflating finish

The Bulls hummed like a well-oiled machine in the first two and a half quarters, building a huge 79-56 lead with eight minutes to go in the third. However, things turned downward for the Bulls when feisty defender Alex Caruso got whistled for his fourth foul. 

Shortly after, the Suns' remarkable star, Kevin Durant, seized the opportunity and embarked on a fiery scoring spree. By the time the third quarter ended, the Bulls were clinging to just a seven-point lead, 90-83.

By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Durant was in full-blown takeover mode. Although White and DeMar DeRozan tried to hold their ground, trading baskets with Durant in crunchtime, the “Slim Reaper” had the last laugh, draining a difficult jumper to thwart the Bulls.

After the game, White couldn’t care less about how great their start was; it was the finish that mattered most.

“You don’t win in the first quarter; you win in the fourth,” White said.

“It don’t matter (how we played). At the end of the day, it’s about winning and losing in this league. And we didn’t win.”

"Why shouldn't I be in that? That's the question you should ask. Why not? What haven't I done?" - Kevin Durant

GAME.pic.twitter.com/2sAkuyZ0UW

— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) January 23, 2024

Another superb game

White is only in his fifth year in the NBA, but on Monday, in a game filled with multiple-time All-Stars, he showed he belonged on the same stage as them, producing 26 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. The former Tar Heel, though, would have none of it.

“So I don’t look at none of that. I care about wins and losses; as a unit, we care about wins and losses. So this will hurt us a while. We played so hard and fought and played so well the majority of the game. It was fun to compete. We were going back and forth. They hit timely shots; we hit timely shots. Kevin Durant hit the most timely shot of the game.”

Tough and-1 from Coby 💪@NBCSChicago | @CobyWhite pic.twitter.com/7ycff8XOTA

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 23, 2024

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