Butler ready for defensive challenge against Thomas
Point guard Isaiah Thomas is the Boston Celtics' dominant scorer, so a natural question heading into the first-round playoff series against the Bulls is how much time will Jimmy Butler spend guarding Thomas.
There is nearly a foot difference between the two, with Thomas listed at 5-9 and Butler at 6-7; although he swore Friday he's 6-foot-7 and three-quarters.
"Yeah, I look forward to that matchup," Butler said after practice at the Advocate Center. "Especially what he's done this year for that team. I know it's going to come at some point and time. I don't know when, I don't know where, but you know, I'm going to make it tough for him. … I look forward to that challenge. I want that."
Thomas has been tough on the Bulls this season. They held him to 24.8 points this season, 4 below his season average, but Thomas shot a solid 54 percent from the field in four games against the Bulls.
The Butler vs. Thomas matchup was on display in the Feb. 16 game at the United Center. Late in the fourth quarter, Thomas slipped past Butler for a lay in, then drew a shooting foul on Butler. But Butler also had a big blocked shot against Thomas with about a minute left and the Bulls trailing by 1.
The Bulls will probably stick to the plan of using Butler on Thomas late in the game only. Butler said he's ready to defend the high-scoring guard all game long, but wouldn't ask for the assignment.
"I know other teammates that I have can guard him, that want to guard him, that look forward to that matchup just as much as I do," Butler said. "Nobody is backing down from anybody on our side, and I'm sure they feel the same way on their side. So whoever is locked in on guarding him, guarding Jae (Crowder), guarding whoever it may be, like I always say, you win your matchup, you win the game."
The Celtics can go to a three-guard lineup frequently with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart joining Thomas. The pressure may be on Dwyane Wade to keep up defensively, while Michael Carter-Williams figures to get plenty of chances to help stop Thomas in this series.
Butler blocks the noise:
The Bulls piped in loud organ music during Friday's practice, an obvious attempt to simulate a hyped-up atmosphere at Boston's TD Garden for the playoffs.
Bulls star Jimmy Butler was asked about the music, but his answer was a different sort of riff on blocking out all the noise.
"I don't pay attention to anything. We just go out there and hoop. Compete," Butler said. "All the noise is just background noise to myself, to these guys. We're all we've got. We listen to one another. We've all got each other's backs, and that's what we're going to need, especially going against them on Sunday.
"Nobody's picking us to win, which is even better. These guys want it, man. If you could have seen the way we were out there competing today, we're locked in. I can say that. Everybody knows how important this first game is."
Bulls horns:
Butler said cutting his hair before Wednesday's game had nothing to do with the playoffs. "It was too nappy and too long, so I had to do something with it," Butler said. "My man Andrew Henderson decided to chop me up before the game. I look real spiffy now. I was going to go bald but I decided to keep it a little bit." … Just five players from the epic 2009 Bulls-Celtics playoff series played in the NBA this season, none for the same team - Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Tony Allen.