Pippen Ain't Easy
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Jimmy Butler’s Top 5 Performances Of 2014-15 Season

By Michael Whitlow

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Mar 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) with the ball during the second half against the New York Knicks at the United Center. Chicago won 111-80. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

1. Butler beats the Knicks (basically) by himself

No Carmelo Anthony, no Derrick Rose, no reason to watch Bulls-Knicks on Dec. 18?

Wrong.

Jimmy Butler was the only reason you needed to tune in to the Bulls’ 103-97 win over the New York Knicks last winter. Butler beat the Knicks almost by himself, scoring a season-high (and a career-high) 35 points on 11-of-21 shooting, while dishing out seven assists, grabbing five rebounds and racking up four steals in the six-point victory.

The Bulls did get 31 bench points from Aaron Brooks (18 points) and Nikola Mirotic (13 points), but it was “The Jimmy Butler Show” in the 44:44 of action that he was on the floor.

Pau Gasol chipped in 20 points, but Butler got no help from the other three starters — Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy — who scored 18 points on 6-of-22 shooting. That’s not great.

There were plenty of worthy candidates for this list, but Butler’s performance in a short-handed affair between two of the NBA’s biggest markets will take the top spot on this list.

Next: Nikola Mirotic laughs at Rose-Butler beef rumors

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