The Chicago Bulls (41-40) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (30-51) 121-116 on Monday.
With both of these teams playing for nothing, defense became an option rather than a necessity. Both teams shot over 50 percent, with the Bulls shooting 57 percent. Chicago turned it on in the second half, as they outscored the Pelicans by 14 points over the final 24 minutes. The list of player who sat out in this game looks like an All-Star roster, so it's no surprise both of these teams missed out in the playoffs.
The Bulls playoffs hoped ended just last week, but they showed some resiliency here with this win. Jimmy Butler was the player of the game, as he tallied 23 points and 11 assists. Nikola Mirotic also played well, as he totaled 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Bulls final game will be on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The season has been over for New Orleans for some time now, but these youngsters continue to develop and play good ball. James Ennis was fantastic, as scored a game-high 29 points and also provided five rebounds and four assists. Tim Frazier continued his great form off the bench, as he accumulated 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds of his own. Toney Douglas also scored 21 in the loss. New Orleans will finish out the season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
