The Chicago Bulls came into Thursday’s rescheduled matchup against the Miami Heat looking to bounce back - but despite a valiant push, they walked away with their second consecutive narrow loss, this time falling 116-113. And once again, the final moments belonged to Coby White - just not in the way he or the Bulls hoped.
With 4.6 seconds left on the clock and the Bulls trailing by three, White got a clean look from well beyond the arc. It was a deep, confident pull - the kind of shot you take when you believe it’s going in.
But this time, it clanged off the back iron. No miracle.
No overtime. Just heartbreak.
After the game, White didn’t hide his disappointment. He finished with 14 points, but it was the one that didn’t fall that stuck with him.
“It hurt my heart,” White said. “I got a good look. I’ve hit that shot before.”
Head coach Billy Donovan stood by his young guard, not just in the moment, but for the bigger picture. Donovan emphasized growth, confidence, and trust - all things that matter when you're trying to build something sustainable in Chicago.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has confidence in Coby White’s ability to rise to the occasion despite missing three pointer at the buzzer against the Heat pic.twitter.com/hAutTT0xjx
— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) January 30, 2026
“I love it for him in terms of his growth,” Donovan said. “I've got a lot of confidence and belief in him. I think Coby leans into these situations to become the player he wants to be.”
Donovan wasn’t just talking about the shot. He was talking about the process - the balance, the mechanics, the mindset.
And in his eyes, White checked all the boxes. Sometimes, the ball just doesn’t drop.
With the loss, the Bulls fall to 23-25 and now face a tough back-to-back in Miami this weekend. And for White, this marks the second straight game where he had a chance to play hero late and came up just short. In the previous contest against Indiana, his potential game-tying shot was blocked by Aaron Nesmith with under three seconds to go.
But while the final shot might dominate the headlines, the Bulls’ fight in the fourth quarter deserves just as much attention - especially the performance of Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu caught fire late, almost single-handedly dragging Chicago back into the game. With just over three minutes left, he buried a mid-range jumper to cut the deficit to eight.
Seconds later, he drilled a three to make it a five-point game. Then came a driving layup to trim it to three.
In total, Dosunmu poured in 15 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 23 overall - a performance that gave the Bulls a real shot down the stretch.
Nikola Vucevic chipped in with a timely bucket, and Dosunmu added two clutch free throws to bring Chicago within one, 112-111, with just over 10 seconds remaining. After Miami answered with two free throws of their own, White was fouled and calmly knocked down both free throws to make it a one-point game again, 114-113.
But Miami had one more answer - a layup from Pelle Larson with 4.1 seconds left that pushed the lead back to three. The Bulls called timeout, drew up a play, and put the ball in White’s hands.
The look was there. The confidence was there.
The shot? Just off.
There’s no moral victory column in the standings, but this was a game that showed the Bulls’ resilience - and the continued emergence of players like Dosunmu and White in high-pressure moments. For a team hovering just below .500, these are the kinds of battles that shape identity. And while the result stings, the experience may prove more valuable down the line.