Both teams have come alive lately, right as questions arose over whether a summer draft pick should be a higher priority than the playoffs.

With a narrow victory over the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Mavericks take a crucial step in the race for the Western Conference play-in, extending their lead over Phoenix.

Coby White spent the first five years of his NBA career trying to shake the “streaky” label. This season, the Chicago Bulls guard finally might have achieved that objective.

Coby White scored 28 points, Talen Horton Tucker had 27 points and the Chicago Bulls locked in a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a 137-118 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

The Bulls routed the Raptors, 137-118, on Tuesday evening at the United Center to clinch a berth in the play-in tournament for the third straight year.