Billy Donovan reveals how Coby White got his ‘pop’ back in win over Mavericks

After being postponed against the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls came back with a vengeance to defeat the Anthony Davis-less Dallas Mavericks 125-107. Although they were overshadowed by the Bears/Packers NFC Wild Card game across town, the Bulls came ready to play. 

That was especially true of Coby White. Fresh off a recent calf injury that was supposed to sideline him for at least a week, White seems to be back in good standing. He led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed four rebounds. White went two minutes over his 25-minute restriction and played 27:59 minutes. Afterward, head coach Billy Donovan explained how White got his “Pop” back, particularly in the second half. 

“I thought in the second half he had his Pop back,” Donovan said. “He looked explosive, was getting to spots, was really good in transition. I thought he was defending. I thought he looked good physically. He’s been trying to work to get his body feeling like it normally does.”

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says Coby White had his “pop back” in the second half of the Bulls 125-107 win over the Mavericks. ⁦@ClutchPoints⁩ pic.twitter.com/KTnviY9ahc

— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) January 11, 2026

In the process, the Bulls ended their three-game losing streak and now stand at 18-20. 

Six other Bulls scored in double figures.

In addition to White, six other Chicago players managed to score in double figures. Ayo Dosunmu was right behind him with 20 points and led the way with eight assists. Plus, Dosunmu led with three three-pointers out of four attempts. 

He also shot 7-for-9 (77.8%) from the field. Additionally, Dosunmu has now scored in eight consecutive games dating back to Dec. 27 against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds. Matas Buzelis added 15 points of his own as well as six rebounds. Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, and Tre Jones each had 13 points between them. 

The Bulls had the upper hand in terms of depth, given that Huerter and Jalen Smith were available after being listed as questionable on the injured list. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis left a massive void in the Mavericks as he was out with a shoulder injury. 

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