Dwyane Wade Misses Buzzer Beater, Mavericks Drop Bulls Below .500

The Bulls really wanted to avenge the ugly loss to the Dallas Mavericks back in December. When you lose 107-82 to the team with the NBA's worst record, things tend to get ugly. That's exactly what happened, when cranky point guard Rajon Rondo threw a towel at associate head coach Jim Boylen. That behavioral outburst earned the veteran a one game suspension, and the chatter surrounding the front office's decision to sign him last summer picked up steam. Fast forward to 2017, and the Bulls were slightly less pathetic this time around. Instead of a 25 point loss, Chicago lost to the Mavericks 99-98. It's not a great sign that Fred Hoiberg needed a near-triple double from Jimmy Butler and a season-high 21 from center Robin Lopez to play level with Dallas, still one of the worst teams in the league. Butler finished with 24 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds. The 12 dimes were a career high for Jimmy, but he couldn't be the hero again in this one. Butler put the Bulls up 98-96 with a pull up jumper late in a back and forth 4th quarter. But Wesley Matthews answered right back with a three pointer to give Dallas the lead with 11 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Butler took the inbounds pass but lost the ball off the dribble. Dwyane Wade scooped up the loose ball and forced a tough jump shot from the left corner as time expired. It rimmed out off the back iron, and the birthday boy's team went home with another disappointing loss. Wade, who turned 35 on Tuesday, scored 17 points. The Bulls (21-22) fell back below .500 after winning their previous two games. Expect more of the same from this painfully mediocre squad this season.

Quick Hits

Nikola Mirotic returned after a 4 game absence because of illness. He was a total non-factor, scoring just 6 points in 22 minutes. His fellow "shooter" on the second unit Doug McDermott had another rough night, scoring 7 points on 3-10 shooting. Rookie 2nd round pick Paul Zipser got his second consecutive start for the Bulls with Taj Gibson out resting a sore left ankle. The German forward tallied 5 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes. Hoiberg said at the team's shootaround that Gibson's ankle isn't serious, and he rested the veteran as a precautionary measure. He hopes that Gibson will play on Friday. Ames, Iowa product Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 20 points. Franchise staple Dirk Nowitzki had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Next Up: The Bulls travel to Atlanta to battle the Hawks on Friday. Butler poured in 39 points in Chicago's 115-107 loss to the Hawks on November 9. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM CST.