After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, the Chicago Bulls are in control of ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 35-42. Chicago is 7-3 in its last 10 contests and 13-9 since the All-Star break. Consequently, Chicago has clinched a spot in the Play-In Tournament for a third consecutive season.

The Bulls’ win over the Trail Blazers was imposing. Instead of Chicago’s usual recipe of victory, the Bulls performed well on the defensive end. Chicago allowed 113 points, 6.9 less than its season average, and held Portland to 38.3 percent from the floor and 26.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Chicago ceded the fast-break and three-point battle while turning it over 18 times—all abnormalities for the Bulls, who rank in the top three in fast-break points and three-pointers per contest. While the team-wide recipe was far from normal, one method of assured victory remained intact.

Chicago is undefeated whenever White scores 30 points

Coby White led the Bulls in scoring against the Trail Blazers, contributing 31 points. The sixth-year guard shot 9-of-16 from the floor and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. White has now scored at least 30 points in eight games this season. The Bulls are unbeaten when White scores 30 or more.

Chicago’s margin of victory in these eight contests is 11.3. The Bulls aren’t just narrowly squeezing by teams when White drops 30 or more, they’re winning handily. White deserves a lot of credit for Chicago’s impressive March—a month where the Bulls went 9-6. White averaged 27.7 points in March and reached the 30-point plateau five times. Thus, Chicago went 4-6 in March whenever White failed to score 30 points.

Perhaps even more interesting, the Bulls are 7-2 whenever White attempts at least 20 field goals. Furthermore, Chicago is 25-16 when White attempts 15 field goals. The Bulls are much better when the 25-year-old guard forces the action.

For what it’s worth, the Bulls are 15-16 when Nikola Vucevic scores at least 20 points and 13-18 whenever Vooch attempts 15 or more field goals. This goes to show that not every Bulls’ scoring output is as crucial to Chicago’s success as White’s. The combo guard has seen an uptick in usage since the Bulls traded Zach LaVine. Although the early results were discouraging, White has proven to be the alpha scorer Chicago desperately needed.

With five games remaining, the Bulls are only one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed. According to PlayoffStatus, Chicago has a 21 percent chance of earning eighth, 33 percent of holding onto ninth, and a 43 chance of falling to 10th. No matter where the Bulls land, White’s high-level scoring output will be leaned upon to climb the standings and advance into the playoffs.