Butler scores 53, Bulls beat 76ers in OT

The only problem? That pesky Jimmy Butler.

They tried jumping pick-and-rolls, double-teaming and even grabbing and holding on to Butler – everything aside from pushing him over or punching him.

Fred Hoiberg saw that look in Jimmy Butler’s eye.

Butler scored a career-high 53 points in the comeback win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

One down, 30 to go.

That’s when reserve point guard E’Twaun Moore hit for seven straight points on his way to 14 on 6 for 8 shooting.

The Bulls could be without Rose in this game, but they surely have more than enough to get past the league-worst 76ers.

“I was pleased with them the whole game, really, really pleased”, Brown said of his players.

Full disclosure: I prewrote a recap for this game in the second quarter. “Butler was doing his thing and we persevered and made the adjustment and then Moore came out and punished that”.

It was a defensive stop added to his 10 rebounds and six assists in 49 grueling minutes, which was punctuated by going to the line a career high 25 times, where he made 21 free throws.

The Bulls were without Pau Gasol, who remained back in Chicago to rest a shoulder injury, and Derrick Rose, the latter who sat out with knee tendinitis.

He did that and then some.

The Sixers, who scored their most points in a first half this season, shot 54.5 percent and forced 12 Bulls turnovers, while committing only three themselves.

Those two players that he joined are both in the Basketball Hall of Fame, as Butler joins Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan in the exclusive club, according to ESPN. His 53 ties Curry for the most in a single game this season.

Forward Robert Covington, who has been struggling with his 3-point shooting, boosted the Sixers with 25 points on 6-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc before fouling out with 2 minutes, 24 seconds remaining. He’s an All-Star for a reason and he’s having an MVP-type of season. “I feel like it’s good for me as a young defender to learn from it. I tried to make it hard for him, but he was just hot today”.

The Bulls had a chance to win in regulation, but Butler lost control of the ball before attempting a shot. Philadelphia F Jerami Grant did not play because of a strained left calf. However, all the energy they displayed in the first two quarter was missing in the third.