Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver

BOSTON -- Jimmy Butler played a starring role as the Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals by routing Boston 103-84 on Monday, denying the Celtics a historic comeback after trailing the playoff series 3-0.

Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Caleb Martin added 26 points and 10 rebounds to spark Miami, which will visit Denver on Thursday to begin the best-of-seven championship final.

Miami recovered from a gut-punch of a game-six defeat, where they fell on a last-second tip-in, to win the Eastern Conference final 4-3, silencing a loud Boston crowd.

Taking full advantage of an injury to Boston star Jayson Tatum in the opening seconds and a cold-shooting Celtics start, the Heat avoided becoming the first team in 151 attempts to lose a playoff series after leading 3-0.

"We stayed together as a group," Butler said. "We talked about going to get a tough one on the road and we did just that.

"But we're not satisfied. We're happy. We're ecstatic. But we've got one more to get."

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he never doubted his resilient squad could win game seven.

"Sometimes you have to suffer for the things you really want," he said. "This group has shown fortitude when there are inevitable let-downs and failures, but had that perseverance to pick yourself up, that collective spirit to keep on forging ahead."

The Heat, seeking a fourth NBA title and first since 2013, last reached the NBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nuggets, into the NBA Finals for the first time, swept the Lakers in the Western Conference final.

It was a determined effort by a Miami squad that lost to Boston in seven games in last year's East finals. Miami also lacked any momentum after squandering their 3-0 edge to set up a winner-takes-all road game.

"When the ship gets rocky, just stay together and keep believing in one another," said Miami's Bam Adebayo, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Spoelstra said last year's loss had weighed on the team. "They made us get better. We thought about it all season long," he said.

Butler said his teammates enabled him to sink key shots and shut down Boston comeback bids.

"They give me so much confidence to hoop at a high level," he said. "They're the reason we're here. I know how good a team we are and we made it happen."

- 'A shell of myself' -

Tatum, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, turned his left ankle landing awkwardly after a baseline jumper in the opening seconds. He grimaced often and took only one shot in the first 17 minutes.

"It swelled up," Tatum said. "I was like a shell of myself. It was tough to move. It was frustrating especially that it should happen on the first play."

Miami stretched the lead as high as 17 points in the second quarter but Boston pulled within 59-51 early in the third.

Caleb Martin sank a baseline jumper to put Miami ahead 76-66 entering the fourth. Martin sank a three-pointer to ignite a 7-0 Miami run to open the fourth quarter for an 83-66 edge.

"Not shooting the ball well had an effect on us," Tatum said. "And it kind of snowballed."

The Celtics went nearly four minutes without scoring and never again threatened, finishing a woeful 9-of-42 from three-point range.

"They gave it everything they had," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "That's the most important thing to take from this. We failed, but it's not because the guys didn't have a sense of togetherness and character."

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 19 points but had a career-high eight turnovers while Derrick White added 18 points.

"We failed. I failed," Brown said. "We let the whole city down."

An 18-6 Heat run to close the first quarter gave Miami a 22-15 lead with the Celtics matching their season low for first-quarter points.

Boston went 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first quarter, missing the first 12 from beyond the arc overall, and made only 6-of-23 from the floor in the opening period.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Butler brilliance as Miami stuns Boston

LOS ANGELES  -- Jimmy Butler led a fourth-quarter fightback as the Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics 111-105 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference finals series on Friday.

Miami talisman Butler finished with 27 points as the eighth seeds grabbed a second straight victory at Boston's TD Garden to leave the Celtics with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the NBA finals.

Miami had trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter and the Celtics led by as much as nine with under seven minutes of the final frame remaining.

But Butler led a sensational 20-9 Miami run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that turned the game on its head and left his team just two wins away from returning to the NBA finals as the best-of-seven series heads to Miami for games three and four.

"We got some dogs, and I love it, I love every bit of it," an elated Butler said during an on-court interview after the Miami win.

"Guys never quit, guys never give up, we love playing with one another -- we got so much faith and trust in one another."

Nine of Butler's 27 points came during the fourth-quarter rally, with the Miami star fired up after an angry nose-to-nose exchange with Boston's Grant Williams midway through the fourth quarter.

At that stage in the game, Boston led 96-89, but Miami launched a devastating late run that turned the contest decisively in favor of the Heat.

Butler later admitted that Williams' apparent taunts had fueled his inspired late contribution.

"Yes, it did," Butler replied when asked if he had been motivated by Williams' trash-talk.

"But that's just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot. Started talking to me; I like that. I'm all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more.

"It makes me smile. It does. When people talk to me, I'm like, 'Okay, I know I'm a decent player, if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to.'

"But it's just competition. I do respect him, though. He's a big part of what they try to do. I just don't know if I'm the best person to talk to."

 - 'Beauty in the struggle' -

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said his team's battling, never-say-die approach had been forged through the challenges of the regular season when they only just scraped into the playoffs.

"This year was really unique for all of us," Spoelstra said. "There's a beauty in the struggle. There's a beauty in that grind."

Butler received offensive support from Caleb Martin, with 25 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo delivered another all-round effort with 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Duncan Robinson added 15 points from the bench, including three three-pointers.

A shell-shocked Boston, meanwhile, were left reflecting on another shattering defeat at home despite 34 points from Jayson Tatum.

Jaylen Brown finished with 16 points but had a wayward shooting night, making only seven of 23 from the field, while Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon had 13 points apiece.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla blamed indiscipline and mental frailty for his team's defeat.

"It comes down to the details and the margins," Mazzulla said.

"This is a series of discipline and mindset. And there were times throughout the game where we weren't the more disciplined team."

Asked if he believed Boston's late collapse was "mental", Mazzulla agreed.

"It's mental from the standpoint of who can make the right plays at the right times, who can make the simple plays, who can win those details and those margins," Mazzulla said. "So, yeah, it's definitely mental."

Tatum, meanwhile, insisted that all was not lost despite Boston dropping the opening two games of the series on their home court.

"It's tough. It's a challenge. No point in being up here sad, right. They came in and won two games," Tatum said.

"They played well, you give them credit. But we're not dead or anything. I still have the utmost confidence, everybody has the utmost confidence."

Game 3 takes place in Miami on Sunday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Curry hits 50 as Warriors advance, Butler hurt in Heat win

NEW YORK  -- Stephen Curry scored 50 points in a record-shattering performance Sunday to send the defending champion Golden State Warriors into the second round of the NBA playoffs while a Jimmy Butler ankle injury raised tensions for the triumphant Miami Heat.

Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, was nearly unstoppable as the Warriors won 120-100 at Sacramento to capture their best-of-seven Western Conference series 4-3.

"I just wanted to come out and look for shots early, get my teammates going throughout the game," Curry said. "But when I'm looking for shots, it usually works in our favor."

The 35-year-old guard delivered an incredible performance, hitting 20 of a career-high 38 shot attempts and going 7-of-18 from 3-point range and 3-of-5 from the free throw line.

"It was about being aggressive," Curry said. "I got 38 shots for a reason. We started to see where the holes were and I could be ultra aggressive and it worked."

Curry also added eight rebounds and six assists.

"Steph was elite. He put these guys on his back and said, 'We're not losing,'" Kings coach Mike Brown said. "Give Steph a ton of credit for doing exactly what he's supposed to do. Heck of a performance."

Curry's 50 points were a career playoff high and the most points in any NBA game seven -- breaking the old mark of 48 set by Kevin Durant for Brooklyn in a 2021 loss to Milwaukee.

"What an incredible all-time performance," Curry's backcourt teammate Klay Thompson said. "This is a game seven I'll forever remember as the Steph Curry game."

The Warriors next face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a Western Conference semi-final matchup starting on Tuesday. Golden State faced a James-led Cleveland in four straight NBA Finals, winning three of them.

"It's special from the first series we played him in Cleveland," Curry said. "We're blessed to be playing at this level still and excited about a new chapter."

In Sunday's other playoff contest, Butler scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Miami over the host New York Knicks 108-101 in their Eastern Conference second-round opener but suffered a right ankle injury.

The series continues Tuesday at New York but Butler's status will steal the spotlight until then.

"No idea," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You just don't know with ankle sprains. I don't even know if we will know more by tomorrow. We'll just have to wait and see. It will be a waiting game."

Asked how the ankle felt, Butler said, "Like a rolled ankle."

At Sacramento, the Kings had no answer for Curry in the winner-take-all battle. After 20 first-half points, he pressed the attack in the third quarter as the Warriors pulled away along with Kevon Looney, who grabbed 21 rebounds.

"It's huge for us," Curry said. "In each series he makes an impact. It's not loud. It's all the dirty work and we love him for it."

Thompson completed a four-point play with 1.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give Golden State a 91-81 edge entering the fourth. The Warriors stretched the lead to 104-83 with 6:30 remaining and cruised from there.

Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points but had only six in the second half.

- Heat sizzle late -

There was an intense atmosphere at Madison Square Garden, which had not seen a second-round playoff contest since 2013.

The game and Butler's ankle turned when Butler fell to the court with the Heat up 95-92 and 5:05 to play.

As Butler planted his right foot to drive to the basket, falling Knicks defender Josh Hart's foot struck Butler's foot. Butler limped to the bench but returned to make two free throws and remained in the game.

"He did not want to come out of the game so we left him in," Spoelstra said.

Often standing in a corner far from the run of play, Butler was largely stationary.

"Find a way to win," Butler said of his reason for staying on the court. "Be out there. Be a presence. I didn't do too much except airball a three. But I'll take the dub (W)."

Butler's teammates stepped up. Gabe Vincent made a 3-pointer and Bam Adebayo and reserve Kyle Lowry, who scored 12 of his 18 in the second half, added hoops in a pivotal 7-0 run for a 104-94 Miami edge.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Jimmy Butler scores 27 as Heat use big third quarter to beat Hornets

Jimmy Butler poured in 27 points and the Miami Heat used a tremendous third quarter to produce a 104-86 victory over the host Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

Bam Adebayo supplied 20 points and 12 rebounds as Miami controlled the play in the lane for much of the second half.

The Heat trailed 51-46 at halftime, but cranked out a 35-8 edge in the third quarter. Butler had nine points in the quarter.

Tyler Herro added 19 points for Miami, which has won back-to-back games following a three-game skid.

The Hornets lost their fourth consecutive game, including the second one in two nights at home. Charlotte dropped to 14-10 at home.

Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 16 points, while Miles Bridges had 15 points and LaMelo Ball provided 12 points. Gordon Hayward, who was in his second game back following an ankle injury, was scoreless in 22 minutes, missing all seven of his shots from the floor.

The Hornets' 3-point shooting was spotty, going 10-for-36. Super sub Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled by going 3-for-15 from the field (1-for-9 on 3s).

Butler made 10 of 13 shots from the field. The Heat's efficiency for parts of the second half helped overcome the team's 11-for-32 shooting on 3-pointers for the game. Miami also was 17-for-18 on free throws.

The Hornets had good moments in the second quarter, when Miami was limited to 15 points. The Heat connected on only two shots from the field in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half.

The Heat led 31-23 before going cold.

Miami was in its fourth game of a six-game road swing, now 2-2 in those games. The Heat had Kyle Lowry back for his second game after a nine-game absence because of a personal issue, and he turned in nine points.

Twin brothers Caleb Martin of Miami and Cody Martin of Charlotte both scored eight points in reserve roles.

-reuters-

NBA: Bam Adebayo scores 24 to help Heat dominate Nets

Bam Adebayo totaled 24 points and nine rebounds as the visiting Miami Heat dominated inside and recorded a 106-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in New York.

Adebayo highlighted an 8-for-17 showing by converting four dunks. He hit consecutive dunks to put Miami up 98-89 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Jimmy Butler supported Adebayo's big night with a stellar all-around showing. He added 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

The big nights by Butler and Adebayo helped Miami to a commanding 62-42 rebounding margin.

P.J. Tucker added 15 points and seven boards as the Heat survived shooting 39.6 percent. Dewayne Dedmon and Tyler Herro added 14 points apiece as Miami scored 48 in the paint.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 25 points, but the Nets shot just 38.8 percent and scored two baskets in the final 4:33. The Nets lost for the third time in five games this season, and each loss has been by double digits.

Joe Harris contributed 15 points and James Harden chipped in 14 for Brooklyn, which shot 32.6 percent from behind the arc.

Miami held a 29-22 lead after the first quarter by ending the period with a 14-4 run over the last 4:59. A basket by Butler put Miami up 41-29 with 7:07 left in the second, but the Nets ended the first half with a 22-8 run and held a 51-49 lead by halftime after Blake Griffin converted a 3-point play with 34.4 seconds remaining.

Miami ripped off 14 straight points for a 63-57 lead on a 3-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 7:38 left. The Heat held an 81-74 lead into the fourth after Harris missed a 3-pointer right before the buzzer.

-reuters-

NBA: Butler, Heat cruise past slumping Celtics

Jimmy Butler finished strong with 22 of his 26 points in the second half as the Miami Heat strengthened their hold on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 130-124 win over the host Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

Despite Butler having only four points at halftime, the Heat managed to build a 26-point lead to help hold off Boston's fourth-quarter push. Butler also contributed 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Duncan Robinson scored 22 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 and Trevor Ariza scored all but two of his 19 points in the first half for the Heat.

Miami (37-31) leads Boston (35-33) by two games for the final seed in the East that guarantees avoiding the play-in round. The teams will meet for a second straight game in Boston on Tuesday night.

The Heat have won five of six and nine of their last 12 games overall.

Evan Fournier scored a game-high 30 and Jayson Tatum added 29 for the Celtics. Kemba Walker totaled 18 points while Marcus Smart and Aaron Nesmith chipped in 16 apiece.

Boston was without All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, who missed his third straight game with a sprained right ankle he suffered last Sunday against Portland. Brown was listed as "questionable" before the game.

The Celtics have dropped seven of their last 11 games. Boston has a 1 1/2-game lead over the eighth-place Charlotte Hornets, who play the New Orleans Pelicans later Sunday.

Five Heat players had scored in double figures at the break as Miami built a 79-53 advantage. Miami's first-half scoring output was its second-highest in franchise history and marked the most points allowed by Boston in any half this season.

Boston trimmed its deficit to 21 after three quarters before Tatum's layup with 5:25 left brought the Celtics within single digits for the first time since the opening quarter at 113-105.

Walker's floater with 4:51 to go brought Boston within six before Butler made his first 3-pointer in nearly a month at the other end. The Celtics were unable to get their deficit below six in the closing minutes.

Heat guard Victor Oladipo (knee) did not travel for the two games in Boston.

-reuters-

NBA: Jimmy Butler carries Heat past Magic

Jimmy Butler had 29 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals, leading the Miami Heat to a 102-97 win over the host Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

The game came down to this: Orlando trailed 100-97 with 22 seconds left. After a timeout, Orlando missed twice before Butler came up with a steal and a layup to put the game away as Miami continued its run as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, going 10-1 since Feb. 18.

Orlando, which has lost eight straight games, was led by Nikola Vucevic, who had 38 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He made 15-of-27 shots from the floor, including 6-of-13 on 3-pointers.

The Magic's Terrence Ross, who had missed the two previous games due to a bruised knee, had a season-high 31 points. He made 10-of-19 shots from the floor, including 8-of-13 on 3-pointers.

It was the first time in three years that the Magic has had two 30-point scorers in the same game. Still, Orlando's losing streak is the franchise's longest since the 2017-2018 season. It's also the longest active skid in the Eastern Conference.

Miami also got 22 points from Tyler Herro and 18 from Kelly Olynyk as the Heat won its fourth straight game without 2020 All-Star center Bam Adebayo (knee injury).

Early on, Miami led by as many as 12 points. But Orlando closed the first quarter on a 9-0 run, leaving the Heat with a 22-19 lead. Both teams made less than 38 percent of their field goals in the quarter, although at least Olynyk was hot with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting, including 2-for-2 on 3-pointers.

In the second quarter, Orlando cut its deficit to one point on three occasions but never grabbed the lead as Miami took a 48-45 advantage into halftime.

Vucevic led all first-half scorers with 17 points. And while both teams shot less than 41 percent from the field in the first 24 minutes, Miami had a 24-12 edge in paint points.

Orlando took its first lead of the game on Michael Carter-Williams' layup with 10:28 left in the third. Vucevic had 17 points in the third quarter, and Orlando held a 77-73 lead going into the fourth.

For the game, Miami outscored Orlando 44-24 in the paint, and that was the difference on a night in which neither team shot better than 44 percent from the floor.

-reuters-

Bulls rally to beat Raptors behind Butler's 42 points

CHICAGO -- Chicago forward Jimmy Butler scored 42 points as the Bulls rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 123-118 in overtime on Saturday.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points for the Bulls, who notched their 10th victory on the trot against the Raptors, who are second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Doug McDermott scored 17 points off the bench for Chicago, which also got 12 from Nikola Mirotic. Jerian Grant's two free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining in the extra session finished off the win.


DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points for the Raptors. Kyle Lowry added 27 points and 12 assists and Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph added 14 apiece.

After Chicago used a 17-2 scoring run in the fourth quarter to erase a double-digit deficit, McDermott came up big in overtime.

He hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt and gave the Bulls a 116-111 lead with 2:16 remaining in overtime with a driving dunk off a Butler assist.

Each team had a chance to win at the end of regulation. With the game tied at 107, Wade missed a running shot in the lane before Toronto moved quickly up court.

But DeRozan missed a seven-foot jumper and Lowry couldn't get his rebound attempt to fall as the buzzer sounded.

A pair of DeRozan free throws had tied the game at 107-107 with 31 seconds left after the Bulls had taken 107-105 lead with a McDermott three-pointer.

Before the Bulls' fourth-quarter surge, the Raptors had appeared to be in firm control. Up by 13 at halftime, they half, and they were up by 19 with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Chicago's third straight win, after impressive victories over the Charlotte Hornets and the Cavaliers, saw them creep above .500 at 19-18.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jimmy Butler latest to pass 50-points

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler became the latest player to record a 50-point performance on Monday as the NBA appears headed for a record-breaking season.

Butler scored 52 points as the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 and became the eighth player this season to achieve more than 50-points in a game, tying the single season record.

Houston's James Harden scored 53 points two days ago, while Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Boston's Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, Washington's John Wall, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Golden State's Klay Thompson have all also achieved what was once a rare feat.


Thompson scored 60 points in just 29 minutes, further showcasing the league's increasing dependency on three-point shooting and the evolution of individual skill.

NBA scoring leader Westbrook is also threatening to become just the second player to average a triple-double for an entire season.

Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season while playing for the Cincinnati Royals.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Phenomenal' Butler lifts Bulls over Nets

CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler's 40 points included the first buzzer-beating game-winner of his career, but the Chicago Bulls forward said Wednesday's last-gasp heroics weren't his dream scenario.

"I hope it never comes down to that, to tell you the truth," Butler said after the Bulls edged the Brooklyn Nets, 101-99. "I just want to win by a couple possessions so there are no nerves running through anybody."

Nevertheless, he embraced the moment, draining a 20-foot jump shot over Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic to seal the victory.

His 40 points -- on 14 of 29 shooting -- matches his season high. Butler also pulled down 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

"He was phenomenal, obviously," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He put the team on his shoulders. He willed them to the finish line. He hit every one of them. He took the ball to the middle with ball screens, and we let him go to work. He made the right play time and time again."

After trailing by seven with three minutes remaining, Chicago stormed home to notch their second straight win.

Butler scored nine points in the final 2:24 as Chicago finished the game on an 11-2 run.


The Bulls finished without Dwyane Wade on the floor after the veteran guard departed early in the fourth quarter with a migraine headache.

Wade finished with 16 points, and in a post-game interview asked television camera crews not to use their bright lights.

"I had a headache before the game," Wade said. "I took a fall in the second half. I didn't hit my head, but I guess the way my body jerked and reacted kind of triggered my headache back. I lost a little vision in my eye. I came out on the court, I couldn't see the rim."

Center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 33 points and Brooklyn led for most of the fourth quarter.

Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson defended his decision not to double-team Butler on the final possession.

"We were going to play him straight up," Atkinson said. "If we were scripting something up, that's the type of shot (we would like), a highly contested two with a pretty tall guy on him. I thought it was pretty good defense."

Butler had returned to the game after rolling his ankle with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"It hurt for a little bit," Butler said. "It still hurts for a little bit now. But I wanted to play. I knew 'D-Wade' was in the back, so I had to insert myself back into the lineup and made a couple shots."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Dwyane Wade, Bulls hand Spurs first road loss

MANILA, Philippines — Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo flirted with a triple double registering 12 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds, as the Chicago Bulls edged the San Antonio Spurs 95-91 in the NBA on Thursday.

It was the first road loss by the Spurs, who played behind most of the game before closing the gap in the fourth quarter and faltering.

Jimmy Butler added 13 points and nine rebounds for Chicago (12-10), which saw all its starters score in double digits.

Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio (18-5) with 24 points. The Spurs entered the game with a 13-0 record on the road.

In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Kyle Lowry tallied 25 points and 11 assists as the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-110 in Andrew Wiggins' homecoming game.

Wiggins scored 11 of his 25 points in the first quarter but the Timberwolves were no match for the offensive firepower of the Raptors (14-7) at home.

Wiggins, who was the first overall draft pick in 2014, is from the Toronto area and receives plenty of attention each time he crosses the border to play.

Zach LaVine scored 29 points and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota (6-16).

In Salt Lake City, the Golden State Warriors raced out to a massive lead but needed to quell a second-half rally by the Utah Jazz to win 106-99.

It was 29-5 at one point for the Warriors (20-3), but the Jazz clawed their way back into the game, coming as close as 84-79 in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant scored eight straight points to grow the Warriors' lead back to double digits and secure the win.

Steph Curry scored 26 points, while Durant added 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Rudy Gobert finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds for Utah (14-10), which were without four starters dealing with injuries.

In other games, Washington beat Denver 92-85, Memphis defeated Portland 88-86 and Philadelphia downed New Orleans 99-88.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bulls rally to shock Rockets, boost NBA playoff bid

The Chicago Bulls rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to shock the Houston Rockets 103-100 and boost their NBA playoff hopes.

Nikola Mirotic drained a go-ahead three-pointer with less than three minutes to play and Houston's Trevor Ariza saw an attempted game-tying three-pointer fail at the buzzer.

Mirotic scored a game-high 28 points. His three-pointer from the corner with 2:56 remaining put the Bulls up 92-91 and was followed by a dunk from Jimmy Butler and a three-pointer from E'Twaun Moore that stretched Chicago's lead to 97-91 with 1:30 remaining.

"We're fighting for our lives," said Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg of the crucial win in a game between two teams jockeying for the final playoff spots in their respective conferences.

The Bulls were without Taj Gibson, who has a broken rib, and Derrick Rose didn't play the second half because of his bruised left elbow.

But the Bulls reserves scored 67 points and Chicago out-scored the Rockets 32-20 in the fourth quarter to come up with the win.

The Bulls now trail Indiana by one game for the eighth and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers fell 114-94 to the Orlando Magic in Indianapolis on Thursday, and Chicago hold the tiebreaker over Indiana.

James Harden led the Rockets with 24 points. Houston are half a game behind Utah and Dallas, who with matching records of 37-38 occupy the last two spots in the West.

- Portland turn tables on Boston -

Al-Farouq Aminu scored a career-high 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Trail Blazers rallied for a 116-109 victory over the Boston Celtics in Portland.

CJ McCollum added 17 points and eight assists and Gerald Henderson came off the bench to score 15 points for a Portland team that had fallen 116-93 to the Celtics in Boston on March 2.

The win moved the Trail Blazers to within 1 1/2 games of the Western Conference's fifth-place Memphis Grizzlies with six games to play in the regular season.

The defeat dropped Boston from fourth to sixth in the East, half a game behind Miami and Charlotte.

- Thunder edge Clippers -

Kevin Durant scored 31 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a narrow 119-117 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Durant connected on 10-for-22 from the field and notched his 60th straight game with at least 20 points.

Russell Westbrook added 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Playing without their five regular starters, the Clippers got a career-high 32 points from Austin Rivers and 32 from Jamal Crawford.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Butler, Bulls bound past Bucks

The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 117-106 on Tuesday at the United Center.

The Bulls had dropped three of four games right around Christmas, leading to questions being asked about everything from their leadership to their effort.

"It wasn't anything I said or what anyone else said," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said of the turnaround.

"It was what we said together as a team in the locker room that nobody knows. We got a real good team on paper, out there on the court, but if we don't play for one another, don't stick together, we're not a really good team."

Individually, Butler has been largely responsible for helping the Bulls (21-12) be a better team lately.

Coming off a 42-point performance, which included 40 points in the second half, against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Butler continued to have a hot hand against the Bucks.

He scored a game-high 32 points, including 20 points in the first half, and recorded a career-high 10 assists. He shot 11-for-21 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

"He's balling right now," Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said of Butler. "I'll keep going to him until he doesn't want the ball anymore."

The Bulls got going early as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never once trailed. Milwaukee cut the margin to one point twice in the game, but the Bucks (14-23) just could not find enough consistency on defense.

The Bulls shot 46-for-83 from the field (55.4 percent). The Bucks hit 46 of 102 shots (45.1 percent).

POOR FUNDAMENTALS

Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty thought there was plenty of blame to thrown around for his team's defensive struggles. Milwaukee fell to 5-16 on the road this season.

"Tonight, they just didn't miss many shots," Prunty said. "Part of it may have been we weren't good defensively. The reason was partly the effort we put into it. Some was our poor fundamentals. It was in our stance, missed assignments and not getting in the right scheme. It was on all of us tonight."

On the other hand, the Bulls were again pleased with their offense. They have scored 100-plus points in their past eight games.

Bulls center Pau Gasol had 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and he added 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Rose had 16 points on 8-of-17 shooting, and he handed out six assists.

Bucks guard Khris Middleton scored a team-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting.

The Bucks pulled within striking distance and were only down 90-89 with 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, the Bulls closed the quarter on a 5-0 run and outscored the Bucks 23-17 in the fourth quarter.

"Yes, we tried to contain the deficit," Parker said. "We were in it, but we got down more in the (fourth) quarter and could not come back."

The Bulls led by as many 13 points in the first quarter and held a 36-28 advantage after the opening 12 minutes. The Bucks fought back during the second quarter and pulled within 42-41, but the Bulls stretched their lead to 67-61 by halftime.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Butler providing the spark for Bulls in Rose's absence

Jimmy Butler has stood up for the Chicago Bulls this season and has helped the franchise transition out of their dependence on the injury-ravaged Derrick Rose.

Butler scored a team-high 23 points on Friday as the Bulls routed the New York Knicks 108-81 despite the absence of Rose, who missed a second straight game due to a right hamstring problem.

It is a familiar story for Rose, the 2010-2011 league MVP, who has seen his career decline due to a rash of major injuries.

But as the face of their franchise has faded, Chicago have been propped up by the emergence of a new star.

Butler, 26, enjoyed his breakout during the 2014-15 campaign when he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player and earned his first All Star Game appearance.


This season, though, he has left his mark on the team in entirely new ways. Butler, the Bulls' top scorer and defender, has also become their emboldened vocal leader.

Following a loss against the Knicks on Dec. 19, Butler called out Bulls first-year coach Fred Hoiberg saying he needed to coach the team harder and hold them more accountable.

Butler was criticized for the statements at the time, though it has clearly lit a spark under the Bulls who have won their last three games. Chicago are squarely in the Eastern Conference mix despite finding a new identity under Hoiberg.

Rose continues to try to get back into form and complete his first season free of major injury in five years. But the fate of the Bulls may no longer rest on Rose's shoulders with Butler now doing the heavy lifting. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls beat Pacers for 7th consecutive victory

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds and the Chicago Bulls held off a late rally to beat Indiana, 92-90, Monday for their seventh consecutive NBA victory.

Spanish star Pau Gasol added 20 points, while Derrick Rose contributed 17 despite 5-of-20 shooting for the visiting Bulls, who improved to 22-9, two games behind Toronto for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls nearly squandered a 21-point lead with a sluggish fourth quarter in which they were outscored 25-11.

A 3-point play by Chicago's Mike Dunleavy, who pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, put the Bulls ahead 75-54 late in the third quarter, but Chicago missed an unprecedented 17 shots in a row until Gasol broke the futility streak with a turnaround jumper with 3:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

While the Bulls went silent, the Pacers scored 20 points in a row at one stretch, with Lavoy Allen's layup midway into the final period putting Indiana in front and Luis Scola's basket putting the Pacers ahead 86-83.

Butler sank a 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining to put the Bulls back on top and C.J. Watson missed a baseline 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for Indiana.

Chris Copeland came off the bench to lead Indiana's six double-figure scorers with 17 points, netting 13 of them in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers slid to 11-21, 11 1/2 games behind the pace-setting Bulls in the Central division.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chicago keeps Philadelphia winless

Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 27 points, including 12 in the pivotal third quarter, as the Chicago Bulls held off the winless Philadelphia 76ers, 118-115.

Jimmy Butler added 23 points for Chicago (5-1), who were without All-Star guard Derrick Rose for the third time in four games because of sprained ankles.

Hollis Thompson added 21 points for the Sixers (0-6), who because of injuries had nine players in uniform.

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Nets 110, Knicks 99

Deron Williams scored a game-high 29 points, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a victory over the New York Knicks.

Joe Johnson and Mirza Teletovic each added 18 off the bench for Brooklyn (3-2), who took the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back.

Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks (2-4) with 19 points but made just five of 20 shots.

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Hornets 122, Hawks 119 (double overtime)

Lance Stephenson banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Charlotte Hornets a dramatic double-overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Stephenson's heroics came after he inbounded with 2.7 seconds left to Kemba Walker, who went back to Stephenson immediately and he banked in the winner from about 25 feet.

Al Jefferson led the Hornets with a season-high 34 points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com