Bulls' chances in Game 4 depend on a better performance from Butler
Jerian Grant is not the Bulls' best option as the starting point guard. They went 12-16 during the regular season when Grant started.
But the Bulls did deliver some of their best performances of the year while Grant was in the lineup. Such as the 128-100 victory at Oklahoma City to start the ice show road trip, and the home win over Golden State, along with the last two games before the all-star break when the Bulls beat Toronto and Boston at home. The Bulls started Grant and Michael Carter-Williams in those two because Dwyane Wade was injured.
Grant usually wasn't a major factor in those games. Those contests had a common characteristic, though - Jimmy Butler doing a little bit of everything. He scored, dished out assists and got to the foul line.
Butler went 0-for-3 in those categories when the Bulls lost Game 3 to Boston 104-87 on Friday. He scored just 14 points, never got to the foul line and failed to record an assist.
"You aren't going to play great every night," Butler said Saturday at the Advocate Center. "But I don't feel I changed the game defensively either. I don't think I did too much of anything.
"It's all right. We play the way we're supposed to, I play the way I'm supposed to, along with everybody else and then it's back to, 'The Bulls have a chance.' Go out and do that."
The Bulls have taken several paths to success this season. But with point guard Rajon Rondo sidelined by a broken thumb, what the Bulls seem to need most right now is Butler the creator. Between Jan. 24 and Mar. 12, when Grant started 20 of 21 games at point guard, Butler averaged 20.1 and 5.9 assists.
There are a couple of roadblocks to this plan. First of all, Boston isn't trying to double-team Butler very often because the Celtics trust Avery Bradley to play solid defense. Bradley is one of the best in the league at velcroing himself to an opponent's chest.
At the same time, Butler scored 30 points in Game 1, so Bradley isn't invincible. Butler made just 3 of 12 shots outside the paint in Game 3, so maybe taking it to the basket as often as possible is a good place to start.
It would also help if the Bulls returned to their late-regular season trend of being one of the league's best 3-point shooting teams. They hit just 6 of 21 shots from long range Friday and two of those were garbage-time buckets from Denzel Valentine and Cameron Payne.
Those two qualities go hand-in-hand. If the Bulls can knock down some 3-pointers, Butler should have more room to operate. If he gets going, he should be able to make plays for his teammates.
As far as getting to the foul line, Butler is usually able to figure that out. He shot 18 free throws in Games 1 and 2. The referees were clearly letting them play on Friday and that helped Boston crank up the physical defense. But the Bulls outscored the Celtics by 10 points at the foul line, so that can't be an excuse.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said Saturday he may consider changing the starting lineup for Sunday's Game 4 at the Advocate Center. Maybe throwing a twist at the Celtics is a good idea, but the Bulls can win with Grant starting.
Game 3 was another strong example of what Hoiberg has preached all season, the Bulls' offense is more effective when they're getting defensive stops and able to push the ball upcourt quickly. The Bulls' 24-7 run to finish the second quarter coincided with pretty much the only time all night Boston missed shots. Not letting the Celtics set up their half-court defense is another smart idea.
Boston made some nice adjustments in Game 3, getting borderline useless power forward Amir Johnson off the floor and making Robin Lopez guard the quicker Al Horford. The Celtics also passed on setting screens early in the game, so the Bulls couldn't execute their successful Game 1 and 2 strategy of blitzing every screen with two defenders.
If Boston continues to play small, the Bulls will have a height advantage at most every position. They need to find a way to maximize those matchups. Here's one suggestion: If someone like Nikola Mirotic gets matched onto the 5-9 Isaiah Thomas, run to the basket and call for the ball. Don't try to dribble it against him.
This will be a pivotal game, needless to say. The Bulls still own a 2-1 lead in the series and could move within one victory of advancing to the second round.
"I feel we have a really good team," Butler said. "I'm taking our chances over theirs. I don't care how many games. We just have to get to four (wins). We don't care who counts us out. We really don't care who wants us to win. We're worried about the people in here because we're the ones who have to do it every day."
• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.