For now, Butler is very quickly cementing his status as the best player on the Chicago Bulls, and it’s not really even close.
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“I had no idea until somebody told me after the game”, he said of Jordan’s record, 39 points in a half of a 1988 game.
Toronto Raptors’ Cory Joseph makes a pass in front of Chicago Bulls’ Pau Gasol during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.
It was after Butler had sunk the go-ahead 3-pointer with 30.9 seconds left, capping a rally from 15 down in the Bulls’ 115-113 victory over the Raptors, their fourth straight, on an afternoon in which Derrick Rose missed his third straight game in advance of a Monday MRI on his sore right hamstring and knee. “I don’t want to be compared to (Jordan) because you see what he’s done for this game….”
“Don’t compare me to him”.
“He didn’t do it on goal, but it does mess up my swagger so I can’t go on a date for a while”, Butler said after the game.
Butler poured in 21 points in the third, including a pullup jumper with 32 seconds left in the frame that pulled the Bulls to within six points with one quarter left. “It was unbelievable”, teammate Taj Gibson said of Butler. Bobby Portis had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulls.
DeRozan praised Butler’s “amazing” second half.
WASHINGTON – John Wall had 24 points and 13 assists as Washington continued its mastery of Orlando.
Toronto guard Kyle Lowry earned his second straight double-double and fifth of the season with 22 points and a game-high 10 assists.
DeMar DeRozan leads the team in scoring, however, with 22.9 points, but his sub-30 percent three-point shooting needs some major tweaking.
The Wizards’ forward Otto Porter scored 20 points and won 11 rebounds, while Kris Humphries scored all of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, including seven during a decisive 15-3 run.
During a 91-84 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 23, Porzingis made 4-of-5 from three-point range en route to 23 points and added 13 rebounds and four assists.
MIAMI – Hassan Whiteside had 25 points and 19 rebounds to lead Miami past Dallas at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Gerald Henderson scored 19 points and Al-Farouq Aminu contributed 14 for the Blazers, who have won four of their last five. Chicago has scored 100-plus points in seven straight games….
Two three-pointers from Williams tied the score 94-94 with less than five minutes to play, but Lowry got the Raptors over hump with another three-pointer, followed by one from the corner for Carroll.
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NY scored a franchise-worst eight points during the final period of play.
