Butler's Trey Beats Hawks at Buzzer 85-84 in Pre-season Thriller

Posted by Unknown on Friday, October 17, 2014 with No comments
It was Jimmy Butler's time to shine.

The Chicago Bulls trailed the Atlanta Hawks by 19 points in the 4th quarter; they were listless but still had a chance to win.  Down two points, due to a Hawks basket with 1.5 second left, that put Atlanta ahead 84-82, The Bulls called a time-out to set up a final shot.

Kirk Hinrich passed the ball to Jimmy Butler who swished a long shot from the left side of the key to send the crowd into a frenzy.  Butler who had 29 points for the game, scored 20 in the fourth quarter. Known for his top defense, Butler is finding his range. Derrick Rose, the guard who is coming back from two knee operations, did not play during the Bulls fourth quarter comeback.  He said he wasn't worried he wasn't in the game. "I'm good," Rose said. "I'm not worried about that." (Just) be patient. I feel good."



Rose gave Butler credit for his performance against the Hawks. 

"We definitely need him right now," Rose said. Asked by the media if Butler's shot could help him down the line, Rose thought "yes."  "For sure, anytime you step on the court, in regular season or pre-season, it boosts your confidence," Rose added. Butler, Rose said, "He's another threat."

That can only help the Bulls roster and it is coming into shape. Free-agent forward Pau Gasol is improving in his game and the crowd loves his smart play, whether is it making a good entry pass, rebounding, or blocking shots. Rose is gaining court confidence and knows his game is coming.  His outside shot is slowly coming back. It's appears it's matter of time, as to when he is ready to fully play his game.

Chicago will have an offense this season.  There will come a time when everyone is needed because the schedule is grueling and the game takes it's toll on the physical body.  Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott will see plenty of action. Coach Thibodeau will have a problem of handing out minutes to one of the better rosters he's had since becoming head coach.