With Butler feeling sick, Bulls can't stick with OKC
Jimmy Butler probably just had the best week of any Chicago Bulls player since the days of vintage Michael Jordan.
For his follow-up feat, Butler was asked to duplicate Jordan's famous "flu game" from the 1997 NBA Finals.
Butler's participation was questionable until about an hour before game time Monday because of an illness. He tried to play and it didn't work out well.
Butler scored just 1 point in 29 minutes of action, was sent home early, and the Bulls were trounced by the Oklahoma City Thunder 109-94 at the United Center.
Following the game, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg announced Butler would not fly with the team to Washington for Tuesday's game against the Wizards. Dwyane Wade will not play either because of a planned rest day, so the Bulls will have their work cut out.
Wade expects to play Thursday in New York and it's possible Butler could join the team if he's feeling well enough.
"I think tomorrow we'll improve," guard Michael Carter-Williams said after the loss. "Tonight was hard for (Butler) to be out there. We just have to make adjustments. I believe we can win with him or without him. We've just got to go out there and play hard and play together."
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook barely missed recording his 18th triple-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds. Westbrook remains on pace, though, to become the first NBA player to average a triple-double for a full season since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62.
The Bulls (19-19) were on their heels from the start of this one as the Thunder pounded the ball inside early to Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. They lost the points in the paint 60-36 and fastbreak points 25-4.
"We talked about their bigs being the best rim-runners in the league, going down and getting deep position in transition," Hoiberg said. "Obviously Westbrook is a one-man fastbreak. We said that game was going to be won or lost in transition."
Trailing by 17 early in the second quarter, the Bulls managed an 18-4 run and closed within 43-40 after Cristiano Felicio's acrobatic tip-in and 3-point play. Oklahoma City was ready with an answer and built the lead back to 61-46 by halftime.
The only good moment for the Bulls in the second half was a lineup of subs trimming a 25-point deficit down to 15, prompting OKC coach Billy Donovan to send Westbrook and the starters back on the court.
Bobby Portis and Isaiah Canaan played for the first time in a few games, while Rajon Rondo sat out for the fifth straight contest. But with Butler under the weather, the Bulls couldn't compete.
"Sickness is going around the NBA," Wade said. "It's very tough to muster up the energy you need, especially a guy like Jimmy who gives everything he has.
Wade led the Bulls with 22 points but had a rough night. After getting accidentally knocked to the floor by teammate Nikola Mirotic in the first quarter, Wade stayed on the floor for a couple of minutes and walked to the locker room holding the back of his neck.
"I just jammed my neck," Wade said. "It was like a stinger real quick."
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Scouting report
Bulls vs. Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center, 6 p.m. Tuesday
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: The Bulls already have played the Wizards twice at the United Center, splitting the two games. Washington (18-18) has had the same sort of win-a-few, lose-a-few season as the Bulls. The Wizards are on a two-game winning streak with victories over Minnesota and Milwaukee. PG John Wall was the Eastern Conference player of the month in December. He's averaging 23.1 points and 10.1 assists. SG Bradley Beal is at 22.2 ppg, followed by SF Otto Porter Jr. (14.1 ppg) and PF Markieff Morris (13.1). The Wizards are 26th in the league in defensive field-goal percentage and 27th in opponents' 3-point percentage.
Next: New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 7 p.m. Thursday
- Mike McGraw