Butler carries Bulls by Bucks for 2-0 lead
Jimmy Butler scored 31 points to lift the Bulls to a 91-82 victory over the visiting Bucks on Monday night to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
After scoring 25 points in Game 1, Butler trumped that with another terrific performance. He was at his best down the stretch, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Derrick Rose went scoreless in the first half, a first for his postseason career, but scored 15 in the second half as the third-seeded Bulls grabbed a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series.
Butler scored 10 points and had a nasty dunk and three-point play over Zaza Pachulia in a game-changing, 13-0 fourth-quarter run.
Mike Dunleavy scored 12 points, all on 3-pointers. Pau Gasol posted his sixth double-double (11 points, 16 rebounds) in six regularand postseason games against the Bucks.
Nikola Mirotic scored seven straight — and quick — points to close the first half at a time the Bulls’ offense truly scuffled.
Khris Middleton led the sixth-seeded Bucks with 22 points, and Michael CarterWilliams scored 12. Layups: Hawks center Al Horford is not sure if he’ll play in Game 2 against the Nets because of a dislocated finger that he suffered Sunday in the Hawks’ victory. ... Paul Millsap of the Hawks is recovering from a sprained shoulder but said he may stop wearing a protective shirt under his jersey, hoping that will improve his touch after missing 9 of 11 shots in the opener.