20 FTA vs. Toronto Raptors, January 7
20 free throws! The Raptors probably hate playing Chicago by now. It’s been several years, literally, since Toronto has toppled the Bulls.
Doug McDermott is usually the Bulls that goes hard against the Raps, but he might have just been a distraction in this one. Butler put up a huge 42 point, 10 rebound performance. He shot 40 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent at the free throw line on 20 attempts.
Butler was on a tear at this point, and was shortly after to be named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Before receiving that honor, he needed to help torch Toronto using a huge fourth quarter and overtime performance to help secure the win.
Fouls on Butler? There were many:
Foul One: Butler gets DeMarre Carroll off his feet and it’s all over. No flop.
Foul Two: More incredible Butler, just attacks and no defender has time to set up in front of him, eventually the call goes against Jonas Valanciunas. No flop.
Foul Three: Too fast, too furious. Butler can’t be stopped and attacks the rim drawing the clear contact and foul from Lucas Nogueira. Not a flop here, not a flop there, not a flop anywhere.
Foul Four: Butler works his magic and draws an iffy foul on Carroll. No flop.
Foul Five: No chance that Terrence Ross can stop Butler, who initiates contact and gets another call. No flop.
Foul Six: Carroll is the victim again. He gets his body in the way, but isn’t under control. The strength of Butler allows him to simply play through Carroll for the whistle. No flop.
Foul Seven: Oh, DeMarre. It just wasn’t his night. Butler kept him on his heels and in the air so often. No flop.
Foul Eight: Not even sure who they called it on, either Valanciunas for not remaining vertical or Carroll, yet again, for reaching in. Clearly no flop.
Foul Nine: More rim attacking from Butler, right into Nogueira. This is only a flop if a flop is what happens when you collide with a center in midair and land on your back. No flop.
So Butler had another monster game, hit the line 20 times, didn’t flop even once on any of the times we’ve got documented footage of him benefiting from a whistle. His double-double was huge and he absolutely took over the game at the end of regulation and in overtime. Chicago won this game, 123-118.
With a sweep, 9-0, in this game, the running total is now 31-3 in favor of not flopping.