Final - OT
Butler scores career-high 53 to lead Bulls over 76ers in OT
Jan 15, 2016 - 4:50 AM PHILADELPHIA (AP) There was no secret formula to Jimmy Butler's career night. He kept taking shots, and they kept going in.Butler scored a career-high 53 points and E'Twaun Moore had seven of his 14 in overtime to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 115-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
''I was just shooting the ball,'' Butler said. ''I just kept being aggressive, taking the shots the defense was giving me.''
Butler also had 10 rebounds and six assists while making 15 of 30 field goals and 21 of 25 free throws to help the Bulls snap a three-game losing streak. He became the first Chicago player to score 50 points since Jamal Crawford in 2004.
''That's as good of a performance as I've seen,'' Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''The guys hopped on his shoulders and he carried us home. Play after play, it was an unbelievable performance.''
Robert Covington scored 25 points and Ish Smith had 24 for the 76ers, who fell to 4-37.
But the Sixers didn't go down easily in this one.
Nerlens Noel's follow put Philadelphia in front 108-104 just more than a minute into overtime. Moore followed with a 3-pointer, a drive and then a 15-footer for a 7-0 run that put Chicago up 111-108 with 2:35 remaining.
Butler's layup made it 113-108 before Smith's 3-pointer cut the lead to 113-111 with 1:05 remaining.
Smith had a chance to tie it but his layup with 25.9 seconds left rimmed out, and Doug McDermott clinched the victory with a pair of free throws with 10.4 seconds to play.
''E'Twaun making big baskets late, that guy gets a lot of the credit for this win,'' Butler said.
Chicago was without star guard Derrick Rose (knee) and starting center Pau Gasol (rest). Joakim Noah, making just his second start of the season, had six points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in Gasol's place.
And, of course, the Bulls had Butler.
''I got some help from my teammates. Keep giving me the ball, telling me to score, be aggressive, just supporting me on defense,'' he said. ''This is a team win.''
The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers 53-34.
Philadelphia scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, capped by one of Covington's four fourth-quarter 3s, to take an 87-77 lead. But the Bulls, behind Butler's array of offensive skills, whittled away at the lead. He finally put Chicago ahead on a layup with 2:24 left in the fourth that made it 98-97.
After Smith's jumper put Philadelphia back in front on the ensuing possession, Butler converted a three-point play after draining a 15-footer to eclipse 50 points.
Smith then tied it at 101 on a drive before Moore's 3-pointer from the left wing put the Bulls ahead 104-101 with 1:17 left in regulation. Smith responded with a 3 of his own with 17.6 seconds left to tie it at 104.
The Bulls had a chance to win in regulation, but Butler lost control of the ball before attempting a shot.
A HALF TO FORGET
The 76ers led by as many as 24 in the opening half, shooting 54.5 percent from the field while taking a 62-46 lead into the break.
''Turnovers, hanging heads, no urgency at all on the defensive end,'' Hoiberg said. ''It couldn't have been a worse start for us.''
Butler said the Chicago coach lit into the Bulls at halftime.
''He was fired up,'' Butler said. ''I like it, though. He let us know, this is not how we're going to play.
''We came out lazy, weren't guarding, turned the ball over, but we picked it up in the second half,'' he added.
ON TRACK
A day after team president Jerry Colangelo said the rebuilding 76ers could turn things around ''sooner than people understand,'' they put on one of their better performances of the season.
''I was pleased with them the whole game. Really, really pleased,'' Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. ''How can we not leave that game feeling like the team is heading in the right direction?''
TIP-INS
Bulls: Rose sat out after participating in pregame warmups. He left in the fourth quarter of a 106-101 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday. ... Butler's previous career high was 43 points on Dec. 18 in a four-overtime game against Detroit.
76ers: Celebrities in attendance included Meek Mill, George Lopez and Montell Jordan, who sang the national anthem and performed at halftime. ... F Jerami Grant (calf) didn't play. ... Noel left the court due to nausea just prior to the opening tip. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Carl Landry. ... Nik Stauskas left early in overtime with a bruised left shoulder.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Dallas on Friday night.
76ers: Host Portland on Saturday night.
---
This story has been corrected to show Noah had 16 rebounds.
- CHICAGO: 115
PHILADELPHIA: 111
Final - OT
Jan 14 9:51 PM - CHICAGO: 115
PHILADELPHIA: 111
End of OT
Jan 14 9:51 PM - End of 1st OT.
Jan 14 9:51 PM - CHICAGO: 104
PHILADELPHIA: 104
End of Regulation
Jan 14 9:32 PM - End of 4th Quarter.
Jan 14 9:32 PM - CHICAGO: 104
PHILADELPHIA: 104
End of Regulation
Jan 14 9:32 PM - 318
rootsRUWTbot Added 29 roots (Close Finish, Overtime, Individual Performance)
Bulls 104, 76ers 104 End of Reg.Jan 14 9:32 PM - 289
rootsRUWTbot Added 7 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 101, 76ers 99 4th - 1:51Jan 14 9:26 PM - 282
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 98, 76ers 97 4th - 2:24Jan 14 9:24 PM - 276
rootsRUWTbot Added 31 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 96, 76ers 97 4th - 3:36Jan 14 9:19 PM - 245
rootsRUWTbot Added 10 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 94, 76ers 97 4th - 4:25Jan 14 9:17 PM - 235
rootsRUWTbot Added 5 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 94, 76ers 97 4th - 4:56Jan 14 9:17 PM - 230
rootsRUWTbot Added 31 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 92, 76ers 95 4th - 5:42Jan 14 9:16 PM - 199
rootsRUWTbot Added 9 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 89, 76ers 95 4th - 6:30Jan 14 9:15 PM - 190
rootsRUWTbot Added 25 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 89, 76ers 95 4th - 6:30Jan 14 9:15 PM - 165
rootsRUWTbot Took away 44 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 87, 76ers 95 4th - 7:25Jan 14 9:14 PM - 209
rootsRUWTbot Added 27 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 87, 76ers 92 4th - 7:47Jan 14 9:11 PM - 182
rootsRUWTbot Added 7 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 85, 76ers 92 4th - 8:00Jan 14 9:10 PM - 175
rootsRUWTbot Added 25 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 85, 76ers 92 4th - 8:15Jan 14 9:10 PM - 150
rootsRUWTbot Took away 19 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 83, 76ers 92 4th - 8:31Jan 14 9:10 PM - 169
rootsRUWTbot Added 15 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 83, 76ers 90 4th - 8:45Jan 14 9:10 PM - 154
rootsRUWTbot Took away 17 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 81, 76ers 90 4th - 9:19Jan 14 9:09 PM - 171
rootsRUWTbot Added 21 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 81, 76ers 87 4th - 9:39Jan 14 9:08 PM - 150
rootsRUWTbot Added 24 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 79, 76ers 87 4th - 10:01Jan 14 9:08 PM - 126
roots - 162
rootsRUWTbot Took away 18 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 77, 76ers 84 4th - 11:10Jan 14 9:03 PM - 180
rootsRUWTbot Added 9 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 77, 76ers 82 4th - 11:17Jan 14 9:03 PM - 171
rootsRUWTbot Took away 14 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Bulls 77, 76ers 82 4th - 11:33Jan 14 9:03 PM - CHICAGO: 77
PHILADELPHIA: 79
End of 3rd
Jan 14 9:00 PM - End of 3rd Quarter.
Jan 14 8:59 PM - 147
roots - 152
roots - 128
roots - 131
roots - CHICAGO: 46
PHILADELPHIA: 62
Halftime
Jan 14 8:14 PM - End of 1st Half.
Jan 14 8:13 PM - CHICAGO: 22
PHILADELPHIA: 34
End of 1st
Jan 14 7:35 PM - End of 1st Quarter.
Jan 14 7:35 PM - Joakim Noah vs. Jahlil Okafor (Taj Gibson gains possession)
Jan 14 7:11 PM - CHICAGO: 0
PHILADELPHIA: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Jan 14 7:11 PM
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