The Atlanta Hawks used a balanced attack to beat the visiting Chicago Bulls 115-107 at Phillips Arena. The Bulls had a big night from Jimmy Butler, who scored 39 points, but it wasn't enough to take down the Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off a confidence-boosting win over the defending champs Cleveland Cavaliers while the Chicago Bulls are coming off their thumping of the Orlando Magic. The Hawks had great performances from several players to beat the Cavaliers and it had a complete team effort to hold off the Bulls.
The Atlanta Hawks looked like they had full control of the game in the first half when they built a 17-point lead. However, the Bulls rallied behind Butler and Dwayne Wade to cut the lead to 68-61 by halftime. The duo of Butler and Wade scored 41 of the Bulls' 61 points. They also combined for 11 steals to contribute to the Hawks' 24 turnovers.
In the third quarter, the Bulls jumped on the Hawks and took a 74-73 with about eight minutes left. They then went on to establish a 5-point lead until Tim Hardaway provided a much-needed energy for the Hawks. The Hawks recaptured the lead and held it until the end of the game. The Chicago Bulls were able to close the margin to two points, 103-101, with less than five minutes left in the game but the Hawks never gave in.
The Chicago Bulls starters scored 89 points and got only 18 points from its bench. The Atlanta Hawks bench was on fire and demolished that of the Bulls 52-18. Eight players scored in double figures for the Hawks while outrebounding the Bulls 49-30.
Thabo Sefolosha, who is normally a defensive stopper, led the Hawks in scoring with his 20 points off the bench. "Everybody can play on this team," said Sefolosha. "On different nights, a different guy steps up. It's a huge plus to have that," he added.
The Chicago Bulls are now 4-4 for the season while the Atlanta Hawks are 6-2 to claim the number three seed in the east. The Bulls will travel to Miami for Wade's first game at American Airlines Arena since he left the Heat.
