DENVER — Bulls guard Coby White’s priorities are simple: God, family, team, hard work and winning — likely in that order.
So while he heard the chants of ‘‘Co-by White . . . Co-by White . . . ’’ behind enemy lines late in his 37-point performance Monday against the Nuggets, there was no chest-thumping about it afterward.
‘‘That was kind of crazy,’’ White said. ‘‘That’s not the first time we’ve [heard chants]; there’s a lot of Bulls fans in Denver. A lot of times the last couple of years we’ve had Bulls chants in Denver.’’
When he was reminded they were ‘‘Co-by White’’ chants, not Bulls chants, he said with a laugh, ‘‘You see, I’m trying to deflect here.’’
He can deflect it all he wants, but White has arrived in the national spotlight, whether he likes it or not.
‘‘There’s a reason why he was player of the week in the Eastern Conference the last two weeks,’’ Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of White and his ongoing breakout. ‘‘I would imagine around the league they recognize that.’’
That, they do.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone fell all over himself praising White, and that was before White fell three points short of dropping 40.
That wasn’t a shock, considering the scoring roll White has been on.
Since the Bulls traded guard Zach LaVine on Feb. 2, White has averaged 24 points on 46.2% shooting from the field and 36.1% from three-point range. He also has gotten to the free-throw line 5.3 times per game.
Those numbers are even better this month. White is averaging 29.8 points on 50% shooting from the field and 36.1% from three-point range and is getting to the free-throw line 6.9 times per game in March.
Only MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, Luka Doncic of the Lakers and Paolo Banchero of the Magic have played in at least 10 games during that time and averaged more points.
Solid company, but that’s not what Donovan was focused on.
‘‘No one is going to talk about it, but one of the best plays he made in the game [against the Nuggets], in my opinion, was in the fourth quarter,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘They were making a run, and he kind of put his chest right out, kind of jumped and went vertical, took it on the chest, and I think [Peyton] Watson missed it. We rebounded the ball, and he got out on the break again. But he’s doing those things. He’s not just scoring.’’
If there has been a knock on White in the last few seasons, it has been his defense. He knows it and has worked to improve it. The shot can come and go from game to game, but his defensive effort is something he can control.
White knows that. And it’s that mentality that leads to winning. While his scoring numbers have been impressive, the Bulls’ rise in the standings is where his mind goes.
‘‘I try not to take these moments for granted,’’ White said when asked about his scoring streak. ‘‘I try to be grateful for them, be thankful that I’ve got these guys around me that continue to push me every day and give me confidence.
‘‘Most important, we’re putting together wins. And, like we say, we’re going to keep building together.’’
That’s why it’s hard to put a ceiling on White, even in his sixth season.
‘‘If you look at his evolution as a player from his rookie year, second year, to where he is now, I mean, the amount of work and drive [he has],’’ Donovan said. ‘‘That’s the thing I love about him: He’s completely, completely driven with being the very best he can be. He holds himself to a really high standard, and I know when he doesn’t play to the level he thinks he should, he feels like he’s letting himself and his team down.
‘‘One of the reasons he’s been able to grow so dramatically is he never, never looks outward on why he’s not performing. Everything takes place inwardly on what he has to do. I have great respect and admiration for that.’’