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DeMar DeRozan delivers OT magic for the Chicago Bulls in 132-129 victory over the Indiana Pacers — but Coby White’s injury looms over the win

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DeMar DeRozan delivers OT magic for the Chicago Bulls in 132-129 victory over the Indiana Pacers — but Coby White’s injury looms over the win


INDIANAPOLIS — DeMar DeRozan never practices missing shots. So it was a foreign feeling when he attempted to purposefully miss his second free throw with three seconds left and a two-point deficit on the scoreboard in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.

Alex Caruso gave some quick advice — get the ball up as high as possible, try to place it on one side of the rim or the other and hope for the best. DeRozan tossed the ball high and it ricocheted as if he’d been practicing the move his whole career.

DeRozan moves with an uncommon ease in these moments. So after a purposeful miss and a lucky bounce, he was primed to end the game as a hero once again. The Bulls drew up a play for DeRozan. He broke it almost immediately, stepping down the baseline to pirouette and launch the tying shot that ultimately sent the Bulls to their 10th overtime of the season.

And when he returned to the bench, DeRozan turned to guard Jevon Carter to issue a promise: “I’m gonna go crazy.”

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DeRozan roped in nine points in overtime to close a 46-point performance, his highest-scoring night of the season and his fifth game with 45 or more points in his career as a Bull. Another clutch scoring night for the Bulls lifted them to a 132-129 win over the Indiana Pacers.

“Hall of Famer. One of the best scorers this game has ever seen,” Ayo Dosunmu said of DeRozan after the game. “He was locked in. I was very impressed with DeMar, just throughout the whole flow of the game, he was locked in no matter what. That’s very crucial for us, for him to be our leader, to always have that mindset and know that we have a chance to win no matter what.”

Despite the victory, the Bulls face a looming question after Wednesday’s win: the injury outlook for star guard Coby White, who exited the game after suffering a right hip injury in the final five seconds of regulation.

White was attempting to seal the win for the Bulls without the need for overtime, streaking up the court after grabbing a long-arcing rebound and leaping for a layup that would send the Bulls ahead by three points. But Pascal Siakam ran with him, swatting the shot away and landing on White in the process.

Upon landing, White’s left leg buckled up as his right leg splayed out at a 90-degree angle, twisting his hip outward. White immediately grabbed his thigh in pain but managed to walk to the locker room under his own power with a heavy limp.

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Chicago Bulls guard Coby White grabs his leg after a collision during the second half in Indianapolis on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Coach Billy Donovan confirmed after the game that White suffered a right hip injury. He will undergo scans when the team returns to Chicago. Donovan said the Bulls medical staff would be unable to assess the severity of that injury until they received those test results.

“We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious,” Donovan said.

White declined to speak to the media after the game, but he was able to stand and walk around in the locker room while chatting and laughing with teammates during media availability.

The loss of White tested the Bulls in another clutch finish, which could have reduced the offense to solely rely on DeRozan to produce the majority of scoring in overtime. But even without their star guard, the Bulls had the advantage of experience.

The Pacers aren’t used to these moments. This was their first overtime game of the season. The Bulls, in comparison, have spent a league-leading 55 minutes in overtime — and 179 in the clutch — this season.

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DeRozan opened overtime with his typical offensive focus, scoring the first eight points for the Bulls. But the Pacers began to trap in earnest, attempting to get the ball out of DeRozan’s hands well above the 3-point line. This simply opened up the rest of the Bulls offense.

After the Pacers sprung a trap with just under a minute left in overtime, DeRozan told Dosunmu to go to the rim. He followed instructions at full speed, snagged the ensuing pass and scored a quick finger-rolling layup. On the next play, the Bulls followed the same strategy but fed Torrey Craig instead.

Each time the Bulls broke this trapping strategy, it outlined an important blueprint for the Bulls in future clutch games.

“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in — in a fun way,” DeRozan said. “You embrace those moments. For me, I just thrive off the moments. I’m not scared to fail. I’m not scared to make something happen. I want those moments more than anything. It always reminds me of my childhood, being a kid, doing a little fake countdown, jumping on the bed, shooting the shot. As a competitor, those moments are always something I try to relish in.”



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Fernando Mendoza, citing Raiders obligations, misses Indiana’s White House visit

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Fernando Mendoza, citing Raiders obligations, misses Indiana’s White House visit


Fernando Mendoza did not attend Indiana University’s visit to the White House commemorating the Hoosiers’ college football national championship on Monday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback said earlier this month that he would not attend if it interfered with any activities with his new team.

“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here,” Mendoza said following a rookie minicamp practice. “I got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t know anything official. I don’t have the calendar, but I just wouldn’t. As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look, and I want to try to best serve my teammates. And I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”

According to the team’s official offseason schedule, the Raiders did not have any formal practices or workouts on Monday. The team’s next organized activity is May 18, its first OTA workout.

“Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders,” President Donald Trump said in his address. “Let’s see how good of a team they have, and I think he’s gonna do great. He’s a winner.”

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Mendoza wasn’t the only absence. Center Pat Coogan and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds were among the other Hoosiers not in attendance for the event due to NFL obligations. Indiana had a program-record eight players selected in April’s NFL Draft.

Trump highlighted Mendoza’s accomplishments and contributions to the school’s first football national title. He celebrated Mendoza as Indiana’s inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and praised his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the championship game against Miami.

“He’s gonna be a good one,” Trump said.

Indiana was well-represented by returning members of the team. Charlie Becker, one of Mendoza’s go-to receivers during the College Football Playoffs, and Jamari Sharpe, whose late interception secured the title-game victory, both spoke on behalf of the school, as did head coach Curt Cignetti.

Mendoza is one of four members of the national champion Hoosiers who joined the Raiders this offseason. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. signed as undrafted free agents in the days following the draft. Wide receiver Jonathan Brady earned a contract after impressing as a tryout player during rookie minicamp.

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Suspect in custody after Muncie triple shooting leaves 1 woman dead, 2 men injured

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Suspect in custody after Muncie triple shooting leaves 1 woman dead, 2 men injured


MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.

According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.

Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.

Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.

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Police did not provide any additional information.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.



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Indiana Pacers exec apologizes to fans after losing first-round pick

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Indiana Pacers exec apologizes to fans after losing first-round pick


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The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.  

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All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.  

Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers . 

Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.   

“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”

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The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.  

Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.  

Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.

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“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.” 

Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”  

There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.  

Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.  

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The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.  



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