BEAT THE CHAMPS
Butler scores 26 to pace team’s strong offensive performance against defending champions
The off- the- court humiliation came before the game.
LeBron James walked into the United Center hours before Friday night’s tipoff, dressed in a full Cubs uniform.
Cameras and cell phones caught his every step as he made the walk of shame from the bus dropoff area to the visiting locker room.
Just one of the punishments James received in his World Series bet with good friend and former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.
“This [ bleep] is crazy,’’ James said during the stroll, while Wade captured the entire payoff on his cell phone.
“Doesn’t he look good everybody?’’ Wade would yell to the crowd.
It was not the last laugh Wade got on his friend.
Thanks to Rajon Rondo’s first triple- double in a Bulls’ uniform, as well as a team- high 26 points scored by Jimmy Butler, the Bulls won 111- 105 to hand James and the Cavaliers their third consecutive loss. Wade scored 24 points.
For once, it was not the best night to be James.
“Where I come from if you make a bet and you lose, you’ve got to pay up,’’ James said. “It’s that simple.’’
Wade didn’t expect any less from his friend.
“I actually thought he looked good,’’ Wade said of James in the Cubs uniform. “He actually looked like he could play baseball. I would have looked terrible.’’
But the way James saw it, he and his teammates had bigger problems than pregame attire, as the defending NBA champions are in a rut.
“We’ve got to get out of the honeymoon stage,’’ James said. “That’s our headline for tomorrow. I know you’re all going to use it. How do you do that? You’ve got to play the game the right way. You’ve got to battle every night like we ain’t won nothing. Last year was last year, and ring night is over with. Everyone is gunning for us every night. We have to understand that and start playing some real ball. Be physical. Got to man up, everybody.’’
James’ coach echoed the message.
“All of their starting five beat us,’’ Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They out- toughed and beat us one- on- one all the way through that starting five.’’
It started up front, as Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez set a tone in the paint, and never caved in. Gibson finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez had just five rebounds, but four of them were on the offensive end.
“I thought Taj’s aggressiveness and our guys’ willingness and ability to find him early in the possession before the defense got set, and the way we spaced the floor . . . we talked a lot about that [ before the game],’’ Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Wade, Jimmy and Taj were all beasts.’’
Not only did the Bulls ( 11- 7) outrebound the Cavaliers 49- 33, but they beat them with points in the paint 78- 60.
“They had 78 points in the paint,’’ James said. “That’s uncalled for. We have to be tougher in the paint.’’
The night wasn’t a complete waste for James, however. He did get to compete against Wade, which he said was always special.
“We’re on the other side of our careers, but we’re still able to make plays,’’ James said. “Anytime we play each other we’re always grateful for the opportunity.
“We were both drafted in the same year, both have franchises that we had to try put on our backs, and we did that and were successful. Then we teamed up and were successful once again. It’s always special.’’