The implications are simple for Jimmy Butler and his
Chicago Bulls teammates.
Option 1: Beat the Brooklyn Nets tonight and advance to
the playoffs.
Option 2: Lose to the Nets and risk missing the playoffs.
Take your best guess as to Butler's goal for the final game of the
regular season.
"Win at all costs, no matter how it looks," said Butler, who leads
the Bulls in scoring at 23.9 points per game. "At the end of the
game, we've got to have more points than the Brooklyn Nets.
"I just want everybody to lock in and realize how important this
game is. We're not counting on anybody else. We control our own
destiny."
Chicago (40-41) can give second-year coach Fred Hoiberg his first
playoff appearance by beating the Nets (20-61). Brooklyn has the
worst record in the NBA but is coming off a 107-106 win over the
Bulls on Saturday evening.
Entering the regular-season finale, the Bulls are in a three-team
race with the Indiana Pacers (41-40) and the Miami Heat (40-41) for
the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers have the inside track, but the Bulls own the tiebreaker
if both teams finish with the same record. The Pacers finish the
season against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
The Heat enter Wednesday on the outside looking in. But, if the
Heat beat the Washington Wizards and the Bulls lose to the Nets,
the Heat will nudge in front of the Bulls.
Hoiberg said he expected his team to embrace the pressure. The
Bulls could land the No. 7 seed, No. 8 seed or miss the playoffs
entirely, depending on tonight's outcomes.
"The mood is good," Hoiberg told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You have
to play your game. You can't play tight. We have to do what has
made us a successful team. We've won six of eight. We need to do
the things that have helped us along the stretch."
The Bulls could be without veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who has
missed the past three games because of a sprained right wrist.
Rondo's absence has created additional playing time for Jerian
Grant, who posted a double-double (17 points and 11 assists) on
Monday night against the Orlando Magic.
Shooting guard Dwyane Wade is expected to play in his third
straight game since missing more than three weeks because of a
fracture in his right elbow. Wade appeared in 166 playoff games
with the Heat and is seeking his first postseason run with his
hometown team.
For the Nets, the game offers an opportunity to play the role of
spoiler and finish a difficult season with a win.
Brook Lopez leads Brooklyn with 20.5 points per game, but he will
sit out and not pose a challenge for twin brother Robin, who starts
at center for the Bulls. Nets point guard Jeremy Lin, averaging
14.5 points and 5.1 assists, also will not play.
But Lin said he has high hopes for the Nets heading into next
season. Brooklyn has won four of its past six games.
"We knew that we didn't have the initial respect of everybody
coming in," Lin told Newsday. "Unfortunately, the record shows we
didn't disprove that. But that's all right. The progress and
improvement is what we see in the locker room. We're finishing
strong."
