Jimmy Butler has firmly cemented himself as the Chicago Bulls’ franchise star. The shooting guard proved that once again, by surpassing one record held by an all time great.
During Sunday’s close victory over the Toronto Raptors, Butler scored 42 points, including an almost unfathomable 40 in the second half. That second number surpassed the previous Bulls’ franchise record held by Michael Jordan with 39 points in 1989. Butler’s shot chart was a thing of beauty:
Jimmy Butler did more in two quarters than most do in a full game.
His 40-point second half is a Bulls record. pic.twitter.com/ijZVQh4K6L
— ESPN (@espn) January 3, 2016
Butler’s monster second half included a huge game-changing and contested three over the outstretched arm of DeMarre Carroll to give the Bulls the lead for good with under one minute to play.
Butler had previously gone to the locker room to get stitches after being hit during the game.
Chicago has started to gain some steam by putting together a good stretch of wins over good teams. Butler’s performance on Sunday allowed the team to do that once again against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. In doing so, the Bulls overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to get the victory 115-113. The Bulls improved to 19-12 on the season following the win.
