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Bulls Game No. 15: Jimmy Butler scores 32, but Bulls fall in Denver

By Michael Whitlow

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24. 114. 73. Final. 109

Despite the Chicago Bulls falling to 2-3 during this season’s “Circus Trip”, Jimmy Butler continues to prove his worth to the Bulls organization with every performance.

In his first three years in the NBA, Jimmy Butler scored 30 points … zero times.

During the first 15 games of the 2014-15 season, Jimmy Butler has scored 30+ points twice, including seven other times where he scored at least 20+ points.

Although the Bulls would fall for the eighth straight time against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center, it was Butler that kept the game from getting out of hand.

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Butler shot 7-for-13 from the field, including an astounding 18-for-20 from the free throw line, to score 32 points in 40 minutes of action on Tuesday night.

Not only did Butler tie his career high of 32 points, both the 18 makes and the 20 attempts from the free throw line became new career highs for the fourth-year wing from Marquette.

(Tuesday was also the fourth time Butler logged double-digit free throw attempts this season, something he did only five times last season.)

With the laundry list of injury issues the Bulls had coming into Tuesday (and the issues they had during Tuesday’s contest), Butler’s performance was exactly what the Bulls needed.

Before tip-off on Tuesday, Joakim Noah (eye/left knee) and Taj Gibson (ankle) were both ruled out, but Derrick Rose (hamstring), Pau Gasol (calf) and Kirk Hinrich (chest) would all give it a go against the Nuggets.

Gasol would log his seventh double-double of the season (22 points, 11 rebounds), Hinrich would take a shot to the chest late in the third quarter, but still gave the Bulls a boost with 10 points and eight assists in 31 minutes of action.

The big news (as usual) was Derrick Rose‘s inability to finish another game after his return to the lineup on Monday night in Utah.

Rose did not play in the second half on Tuesday due to tightness in the left hamstring that he injured during the Bulls’ win against Toronto on November 13th.

In 10 minutes of action, Rose shot 1-of-4 for two points and clearly wasn’t his usual self in the second game of a back-to-back for the Bulls.

"“There was really nothing that happened … other than I didn’t want to take any chances with him.”-Tom Thibodeau on Derrick Rose during Tuesday’s loss vs. Denver, Chicago.CBSLocal.com"

Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls

The 2005-06 season was the last time the Bulls have won in Denver — so yeah, Tuesday was pretty much a foregone conclusion — especially with the Bulls shorthanded entering the game.

Outside of Gasol’s double-double and 17 points from Mike Dunleavy, Butler’s big night was required or the Bulls would have been blown out of the Pepsi Center yet again.

Between the injuries, shooting just 42.7 percent from the field and being beaten on the glass yet again (45-37), the Bulls hung around all night, but couldn’t overcome the early onslaught from Denver.

As for Rose, he spoke in the locker room after Tuesday’s loss:

It’s a good sign that Thibodeau recognizes that he’s not going to have his MVP point guard at full strength all season long.

As for Rose, I’m sure it’s frustrating that the injuries continue to pile up, but there’s no point in rushing through treatment and trying to play through injuries in November.

The Bulls (9-6) move on to a matinee contest against the Boston Celtics on Friday afternoon at TD Garden in Boston.

Tip-off in Boston is scheduled for 12:00 PM CT.

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Next: Bulls Game No. 14: Gasol, Rose return; Bulls snap two-game slide

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