Butler hits game-winner for Chicago Bulls
This seemed about right for the Chicago Bulls.
They pulled out a crucial victory at Indiana on Tuesday night, but won despite scoring just 5 points over the final nine minutes and limped away with more injury issues.
The Bulls survived a dry spell of 6:40 in the fourth quarter by keeping the Pacers scoreless during the final three minutes. Jimmy Butler hit a 10-foot pullup jumper with 3.7 seconds left to give the Bulls a 98-96 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The win snapped a four-game losing streak.
"It's already an uphill battle, but it would be a mountain to climb if we didn't get this one," coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after the game. "So it's a huge win for us. The guys stepped up and made the right plays down the stretch."
Nikola Mirotic carried the Bulls' offense for much of this game. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and hit 7 of 13 shots from 3-point range.
Mirotic's hot hand paid off on the Bulls' final offensive possession. He set a high screen for Butler, then rolled to opposite wing, waiting for a potential 3-point shot.
Two Indiana defenders, Paul George and George Hill, both hesitated and started to follow Mirotic. That gave Butler plenty of room to drive right and pull up for the game-winner.
"They had been switching ball screens in the fourth quarter, so we were trying to confuse them by slipping him out and Jimmy was going to make the read on it," Hoiberg said. "(The defenders) both kind of stayed in no man's land there and Jimmy rose up and knocked down the big shot."
The Bulls (37-37) set up the final shot when Pau Gasol hustled after his own miss and the Pacers knocked the ball out of bounds. Indiana's C.J. Miles missed a 3-pointer at the final buzzer.
The victory moved the Bulls within 2 games of eighth-place Indiana and the Bulls won the season series 3-1, which means they'd win any two-way tiebreaker with the Pacers. The bad news for the Bulls is Indiana will face just two teams with winning records in their final eight games.
The Bulls have a tough schedule ahead, starting with a trip to Houston on Thursday. After hosting Detroit on Saturday, the Bulls will play three straight on the road against Milwaukee, Miami and Memphis.
The Pistons moved in to seventh place, a half-game ahead of Indiana, by beating Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
The Bulls have more injury issues to worry about. Taj Gibson didn't play in the second half due to a rib contusion. The injury has bothered Gibson for a few games and after Monday's loss to Atlanta, Gibson was seen grimacing in the locker room as he tried to stand up.
Derrick Rose got X-rays on his left elbow after the game. Hoiberg thought Rose might have hyperextended the joint against the Hawks, he seemed to reaggravate the injury early in Tuesday's game.
"He'll get evaluate tonight and tomorrow and see how he's doing, but obviously he's in a lot of pain right now," Hoiberg said.
Rose hit just 4 of 15 shots for 8 points against the Pacers. Butler scored 14, while Gasol finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. E'Twaun Moore (5 points) returned from a hamstring injury.
Rookie center Cristiano Felicio scored three times off offensive rebounds early in the fourth quarter. The third one gave the Bulls a 93-86 lead with 8:59 left. They didn't score again until a Mirotic 3-pointer tied the score at 96-96 with 2:19 remaining.
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