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White enjoys North Carolina's win during media session

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It’s not often an NBA player conducts a postgame news conference while interjecting his answers with play-by-play from an NCAA game.

But that’s what happened Saturday night at the United Center.

And it wasn’t just any NCAA game. It was a national semifinal, won by North Carolina over Duke, as Chicago Bulls guard and former Tar Heel Coby White offered his spontaneous thoughts as he also answered questions about his team's loss to the Miami Heat.

“We gotta hit free throws,” White said as Duke’s Trevor Keels stepped to the line with 11 seconds left for two free throws and his team trailing by three. “We gotta rebound first, in case he misses.”

Keels indeed missed the second, forcing Duke to foul Caleb Love, who had split two free throws with 18 seconds left.

“Caleb ain’t gonna miss another one,” White said.

White was right. Love sank both free throws — “He made them,” White shouted, mid-answer to a question about the Miami Heat — with eight seconds left.

When final seconds ticked off, White slapped the table in celebration.

“We won,” he said. “We won. Clap it up.”

The loss ended the career of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, long a rival of White’s school.

“Great career for him. One of the best to do it,” White said. “Go down as one of the all-time greats.”

As for a prediction regarding Monday’s NCAA title game against Kansas, White said he’s obviously “going with Baby Blue.” And the Bulls have an off night, so White will be watching.

“I’m proud of Carolina,” White said. “I’m proud of those guys. I know most of those guys. I played with Leaky (Black), so he’s my dog. I’m excited.”

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