Bulls earn big win over Hawks, strengthen playoff push
Chicago has the inside track vs. Indiana, Miami in playoff race
Jimmy Butler continues to tow the Chicago Bulls for their playoff push. Butler led his team to a big win over the Atlanta Hawks, 106-104 on Saturday and helped Chicago get into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls tied the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, both of which have a 37-39 record, in the team standings. Should these teams be tied at the end of the regular season, Chicago has the edge with a combined 4-3 record against those teams for tiebreaker purposes.
All three teams have six games left to play in the regular season. The Bulls might have the easiest schedule among the three with their final six games against teams eliminated from contention or not in the playoff picture.
Butler scored 33 points and had 8 assists and he shot well from the field going 11-of-20 overall and 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Rajon Rondo had another great game with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals while Denzel Valentine added 13 points off the bench.
Butler has been involved in trade speculations earlier this season. His name is also among the most discussed to be shipped out from Chicago if they fail to make the NBA playoffs this year. However, Butler said that he is only worried about the Bulls’ performance this late in the season and is aiming to help Chicago get to a playoff spot.
"I'm supposed to miss shots and I'm supposed to fail. Everybody always picks me to do that, but it's OK. I like all the so-called pressure. I just want to go out there and show that I belong,” Butler said via ESPN about the Bulls’ big win over the Hawks.
"I always look at it as nobody picked us to be in the playoffs. Nobody picked us to win anyways. I'm just out there playing basketball. I want to win, I think everybody knows that. I'm just doing what everybody asks of me, so to speak."
The Chicago Bulls were actually pegged as one of the better teams in the East with their acquisition of veterans Rondo and Dwyane Wade last offseason. Wade is injured and the Bulls struggled for most of the regular season. However, they are doing enough to battle for a playoff spot in the East with Jimmy Butler leading the way.
