Bulls beat Jazz to end two-game skid
CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and distributed seven assists, and the Chicago Bulls rallied for a 95-86 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Bobby Portis scored 22 points in 30 minutes off the bench for the Bulls. Rookie Denzel Valentine joined Portis off the bench to post his first career double-double, with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Chicago (33-37) snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the second time in the past nine contests.
George Hill led the Jazz with 18 points to go along with seven rebounds. Gordon Hayward added 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting. Rudy Gobert registered a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Utah (43-27) lost for the second straight game and the third time in the past five contests. The Jazz were swept by the Bulls in a two-game season series.
Valentine sparked an 8-0 run that helped fuel the Bulls' fourth-quarter comeback. The Michigan State alum hit back-to-back 3-pointers and heaved a pass to Portis for a fast-break slam dunk to cap the run. Chicago increased its lead to 85-79 with 3:58 remaining as Butler converted a three-point play.
Utah led 64-61 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Jazz ended the third quarter on a 14-6 run that included nine points from big men Gobert and Boris Diaw.
A fast-break layup by Rajon Rondo gave the Bulls their first lead of the game with 8:37 left in the third quarter. Chicago increased its lead to 55-50 moments later on Robin Lopez's putback dunk.
Utah led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with a 44-40 advantage. The Jazz made four of their first six shots from beyond the arc but finished 7 for 25 from 3-point range.
NOTES: Jazz G Rodney Hood missed his second straight game because of right knee soreness. Hood was replaced in the starting lineup by G Joe Ingles, who finished with 10 points. ... Bulls F Nikola Mirotic made his third start of the season and his first since Dec. 3. He scored five points in 18 minutes. "It's been a long time," Mirotic said. ... Jazz F Derrick Favors missed his sixth game in a row because of a left knee bruise. ... A right foot injury sidelined Bulls G Cameron Payne for the third straight contest.