Jimmy Butler Scores 28 Points To Lead Bulls To 128-100 Rout Of Thunder

The Chicago Bulls have begun their six-game road trip on a strong note.

Jimmy Butler Scores 28 Points To Lead Bulls To 128-100 Rout Of Thunder

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points to lead the Bulls to a 128-100 thrashing of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Dwyane Wade added 18 points and seven assists for Chicago, who shot a season-high 60.5 percent from the field overall and 68 percent in the second half.

”This was just a great team win from start to finish,” Wade said. ”We really came out and executed our game plan, especially offensively.”

Butler and Wade publicly criticized the work ethic of some of their younger teammates and Rajon Rondo jumped into the mess, thus leading to fines for the veterans. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, who called it a “tough week,” did his best to ignore the blowback.

“You can’t pay attention to it if you want to survive in this league as a player, as a coach, whatever role you may be in,” Hoiberg said before Wednesday’s game at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “You have to do the best you can of not letting it rule your life. Go out and do the job.”

Russell Westbrook finished with 28 points and eight assists, and Jerami Grant had a season-high 15 points for the Thunder, who dropped their third consecutive game and saw their five-game home winning streak snapped.

Westbrook made 10 of 23 shots.

”You just gotta challenge every shot,” Butler said. ”He’s a hell of a player, getting downhill, at the basket. He can make the outside shot and loves to get his teammates involved.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that someone other than Westbrook reached 10 points for Oklahoma City. The Thunder shot just 38 percent from the field and made 10 of 37 3-pointers. It was the second-worst loss of the season for the hosts, behind a 34-point defeat in Memphis.

”I don’t think we were very good tonight, especially on the defensive end of the floor,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.

Butler scored 18 of his points in the first half to propel the Bulls to a 55-47 lead at the break.

Westbrook played less than a minute in the fourth quarter, sitting out for good with 8:14 left and Chicago up 108-82.

”We just try to pack the paint and make them make shots,” Wade said. ”We were able to get them to miss some and go down and not see their defense all night and score a little in transition.”

 Robin Lopez was issued a technical foul in the third quarter.

Thunder center Enes Kanter missed his third straight game with a fractured right forearm. He was on the bench with a cast on the arm.

 The Bulls next visit the Houston Rockets on Friday, when the Thunder host the Memphis Grizzlies.

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 02: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a free-throw against the Charlotte Hornets at the United Center on January 2, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Hornets 118-111.

Article by Pablo Mena