Butler's big first half helps Bulls tip Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS -- Jimmy Butler scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the first half and made all three of his 3-point attempts to spark the Chicago Bulls to a 117-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center.
The victory was the fourth straight and fifth in six games for the Bulls (38-39), who were a half-game up on the Pacers for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race pending Indiana's Sunday result against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Butler was 14 of 26 from the floor and added six rebounds and five assists. Bobby Portis scored 21 off the bench for Chicago, which posted its sixth consecutive victory over the Pelicans (33-44).
The loss virtually extinguished the Pelicans' playoff hopes. They are 5 1/2 games behind Portland (38-38) for the eighth playoff spot in the West. Portland could eliminate New Orleans with a victory over Minnesota on Monday.
The loss snapped a six-game home winning streak for the Pelicans. New Orleans was led by Anthony Davis with 30 points and DeMarcus Cousins with 26 points and 18 rebounds.
The Bulls used a 10-2 run to start the final quarter -- capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by Joffrey Lauvergne and Denzel Valentine -- to extend their lead to 97-81 with 9:36 left.
The Pelicans chipped away at the Bulls' 16-point halftime lead, outscoring Chicago 32-24 in the third quarter to pull within 87-79 entering the fourth quarter. Davis scored nine in the period despite having turned his right ankle just before halftime.
Butler played 42 minutes in a 106-104 victory over Atlanta on Saturday night, but he came out looking fresh and scored 12 first-quarter points as Chicago took a 28-21 lead.
Rajon Rondo directed the offensive show for the Bulls, dishing out three assists to go along with four points and five rebounds in the period. Davis and Cousins kept New Orleans close by combining for 17 of the Pelicans' 21 first-quarter points.
The Bulls completed a 12-0 run by scoring the first seven points of the second quarter to extend their lead to 35-21. After the Pelicans cut the deficit to 44-38, the Bulls went on a 12-0 run, highlighted by a 3 and a pair of 20-footers by Butler.
Butler finished with 25 first-half points on 9-of-11 shooting, just one game after pouring in 25 points in the second half against Atlanta. The Bulls led 63-47 at intermission, and they also got 13 first-half points off the bench from Portis.
Davis left the floor with under a minute left in the second quarter after rolling his right ankle. The Bulls held a 28-15 edge on the boards in the first half.
NOTES: New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said the Pelicans' better play at home is a result of PF Anthony Davis and C DeMarcus Cousins getting more comfortable with each other. "You've got a home-court advantage when you play well at home," Gentry said. "We're also figuring each other out. This thing is a process." ... Gentry expect Davis to improve his long-range jumper with a healthy summer to work on it. "I don't think he's shot it as well as he's capable of doing," Gentry said. "He'll be a mid-30s (percent) 3-point shooter, and if he can get to that, that'll be more than enough." ... Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said PG Rajon Rondo "has been great for us since we put him back in the starting lineup with Niko (Mirotic) and trying to get us off to good starts."