Butler’s 33 lead Bulls

CHICAGO >> Jimmy Butler scored 33 points and hit two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to lift the Chicago Bulls to a 106-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Butler scored the Bulls’ final nine points. His free throws gave the Bulls a two-point lead and capped a 15-4 run.

Tim Hardaway Jr. then missed a 3-pointer for Atlanta as time expired, giving the Bulls their third straight win. That put them in a tie with Miami and Indiana for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The sixth-place Hawks, who had won two straight after dropping seven in a row, trail Milwaukee by a game. CLIPPERS 115, LAKERS 104 >> Blake Griffin scored 36 points, Chris Paul added 29 and the Clippers beat the Lakers, giving coach Doc Rivers his 800th career victory. NETS 121, MAGIC 111 >> Brook Lopez scored 30 points, Trevor Booker had a season-high 23 and Brooklyn beat Orlando.

Sean Kilpatrick added 15 points for the Nets, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Brooklyn had a season-high 72 points in the paint. KINGS 123, TIMBERWOLVES 117 >> Buddy Hield tied a career high with 22 points, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and Sacramento got 66 points from its bench in a victory over Minnesota.

Reserve point guard Ty Lawson had 21 points and 11 assists. Langston Galloway added 17 points and Aaron Afflalo scored 16 off the bench as the Kings recovered after losing by 28 points a night earlier.