Jimmy Butler broke Michael Jordan’s franchise record with 40 second half points

Trailing 60-48 at halftime, Butler took over in the third to get Chicago within six. The rookie forward can shoot it from deep or score inside. Gasol made one of two to give the Bulls a two-point lead with 23 seconds on the clock. The result tightens things atop the Eastern Conference where the Bulls (20-12) now sit 2 1/2 games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Raptors (21-14) are now three games back.

“I’m just happy we won to tell you the truth, ” Butler said. After the game, Hoiberg reassured Bulls fans that Portis will get more time.

Paul Millsap has 19 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals for the Hawks, and Kent Bazemore added 18 points. For the first 24 games of the Chicago Bulls’ season, Bobby Portis watched, cheered on his teammates and waited his turn. “It’s the best performance I’ve seen coaching”. “There is no doubt about it. He’s playing too well”.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Nikola Mirotic had 17 points and 7 assists in one of his best games of the season, and the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 108-81 on Friday night.

Orlando Guard Victor Oladipo scored 20 points for the Magic, who had won six of their past eight games. The Bulls are now 17-3 when outrebounding their opponent…. The last points scored for NY were free throws from Anthony with 4:35 left in regulation. “Just a really, really good individual performance”.

The final quarter looked a lot like the first period. But concerning to see Lowry go through some bad shooting stretches (8-for-22 for the game, and 2-for-7 in the first half).

When he returned, the Texas native was an animal, shooting fade away shots, hitting 3-pointers and getting to the free-throw line. “The way they were pressuring us in the first half, we couldn’t get the ball reversed or swung so we just put the ball in Jimmy’s hands”.

“We tried everybody and everything, and couldn’t get him stopped”, coach Dwane Casey said.

When asked about a timetable for Noah’s return, Hoiberg said it will depend on what the doctors say Monday. When it came down to who they were going to go to for the big bucket with just 35 seconds left and down two points, the obvious choice of feeding the hot hand was pretty easy to make.

For as well as the 15-19 Knicks have competed in 2015-16, the most recent outing has tensions flaring in NY.

December 30 vs. Utah: Finished with 25 points (10-of-15 field goals) and 10 rebounds in a 94-80 victory over the Jazz.

It was a third straight win for the Lakers, who were without Kobe Bryant for a second game in a row as he nurses a sore shoulder.