There’s no change in Jimmy Butler’s status. He’s still listed as a game-time decision when the Bulls take on the Golden State Warriors for the first time this season.
Butler has already missed two games on this road trip with a right heel contusion. Backup center Cristiano Felicio will also likely miss his second straight game with a lower leg strain.
Scouting report
If there’s a bright side to Butler’s absence, the Bulls have actually played well for the most part. They struggled down the stretch in both games, though, losing to Houston in overtime on Friday, then beat Sacramento on Monday after their 27-point lead disappeared.
The biggest beneficiary to Butler’s absence is Michael Carter-Williams. After dropping out of the rotation for a few games, Carter-Williams started in Butler’s place and turned in his best two performances of the season.
He had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals against the Kings. Against the Rockets, Carter-Williams produced 23 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, which were all season-highs.
He scored off drives to the basket in both games and demonstrated he can be a good perimeter defender. Besides Butler, the 6-6 Carter-Williams might be the most athletic player on the Bulls’ roster. After suffering on the bench for a few games, Carter-Williams seemed to unleash a new aggressiveness and that style suits him well.
“I think my defense is something that always needs to be there for me; that’s my backbone,” Carter-Williams told reporters after the Sacramento game, according to bulls.com. “I’ve been working a lot on my offensive game. I try to play both ends and the work I’m putting in is showing.”
Dwyane Wade showed once again he has plenty left in the tank at age 35 by scoring 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Once the 27-point lead disappeared, Wade drained an impressive 19-foot pullup jumper over Matt Barnes to give the Bulls a 2-point lead with 13 seconds left. After a time out, Wade’s steal and dunk sealed the victory.
“By basketball standards I’m considered old,” Wade said after the game. “That’s true. I’m not as athletic as I used to be; that’s true. But I can play basketball. I’m a different player. I’m not young like I used to be. But like I told the crowd when they were calling me over, they would love to have me on their team.”
The Bulls led the Kings 82-55 with 4:13 left in the third quarter. It was shades of the infamous 35-point collapse against Sacramento at the United Center back in the 2009-10 season.
So it was quite a relief when Wade was able to finish off the victory after the Kings tied it on DeMarcus Cousins’ drive.
“D-Wade had everybody calm, making sure everyone was in the right spot, taking advantage of the different matchups,” Taj Gibson said. “He stepped up big.”
Every player on the roster will have to come up big for the Bulls to have success Wednesday. The Warriors (43-8) lost at Sacramento on Saturday and haven’t dropped two in a row since April 2015.
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