Butler Guides Bulls Past Cavaliers, NBA Scores

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Published on January 5 2017 6:17 am
Last Updated on January 5 2017 6:17 am

By ESPN

LeBron James was reminded what it's like to be Cleveland's only star.

Lonesome and no fun.

Jimmy Butler took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 straight points during a critical stretch and leading the Chicago Bulls to a 106-94 win Wednesday night over the Cavaliers, who had a less-than-100 percent James and were without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Butler, who was coming off a 52-point game against Charlotte, scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth as the Bulls held off Cleveland's rally and ended the Cavs' 13-game winning streak with James in the lineup.

Butler said Dwyane Wade, who returned to his hometown this summer, encouraged his new teammate to take control.

"The guy who wears No. 3 on this team came to me and was like, `Win the game," Butler said. "So I guess a switch cut on. I knew I was going to have to do that in the fourth anyway, but with him telling me that, you can't let D-Wade down.

"He's been doing it for years. It was my time to step up."

James, who has been battling a head cold for several days, was questionable until about 20 minutes before the game, when the Cavs announced he would be the one -- and only -- member of Cleveland's "Big 3" in uniform. He finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes.

James was forced to go it alone as Irving missed his third straight game with a hamstring issue that appears to be more serious than first diagnosed and Love is still recovering from a nasty case of food poisoning.

James said there was never any question he would play.

"If I can walk, I can go," he said, "unless coach tells me to sit down. My plan was to play."

But without Irving and Love, the Cavs didn't have enough firepower to slow the Bulls, who got 17 points from Doug McDermott and made a season-high 13 3-pointers.

The Bulls made just 1 of 8 3s in the first quarter before finding their range. They dropped 11 of their next 14 and built a 15-point lead when James went to the bench with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

But Cleveland's reserves cut Chicago's lead to four when James returned with 8:49 remaining. He made two straight layups to pull the Cavs within 89-88 and was driving for the go-ahead bucket when Butler stepped in front of him in the lane and drew a charge.

"He's coming at you full speed, that's the right play to make," Butler said. "It could go either way, obviously. You've got to brace yourself. I got all my pads here somewhere. We've got all of that for a reason."

James didn't argue about the foul.

"It was a good call," James said.

Butler then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession, and Cleveland never got closer than eight and had its home winning streak ended at nine.


Wednesday, January 4 Scoreboard

Charlotte 123, Oklahoma City 112

Atlanta 111, Orlando 92

Milwaukee 105, New York 104

Chicago 106, Cleveland 94

Los Angeles Clippers 115, Memphis 106

Golden State 125, Portland 117

Miami 107, Sacramento 102


Thursday, January 5 Schedule (All Times Central)

Brooklyn at Indiana, 6 p.m.

Utah at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Houston, 7 p.m.

Phoenix at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

San Antonio at Denver, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland, 9:30 p.m.


Friday, January 6 Schedule (All Times Central)

Minnesota at Washington, 6 p.m.

Houston at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Philadelphia at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Brooklyn, 6:30 p.m.

New York at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

Memphis at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento, 9:30 p.m.


Saturday, January 7 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York at Indiana, 6 p.m.

New Orleans at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Toronto at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Denver at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Utah at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.

Detroit at Portland, 9 p.m.


Sunday, January 8 Schedule (All Times Central)

Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 11 a.m.

Washington at Milwaukee, 1 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Clippers, 2:30 p.m.

Houston at Toronto, 5 p.m.

Utah at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Cleveland at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.

Golden State at Sacramento, 8 p.m.

Orlando at Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m.