Jimmy Butler set a playoff career-high for the second straight game with 31 points as the Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks 91-82 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoffs series.
After scoring 25 points in Game 1, Butler was at his best down the stretch, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Chicago’s Derrick Rose scored all of his 15 points in the second half after dominating in the series opener.
Pau Gasol added 11 points and 16 rebounds and Mike Dunleavy Jr. scored 12 points for the third-seeded Bulls.
Khris Middleton led the sixth-seeded Bucks with 22 points, and Michael Carter-Williams scored 12. Game 3 is on Thursday at Milwaukee.
In Oakland, California…
Klay Thompson scored 26 points and Stephen Curry had 22 points and six assists as the Golden State Warriors regrouped from an early deficit to down the New Orleans Pelicans 97-87 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
The top-seeded Warriors fell behind by 13 points in the first quarter after a strong start by the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon. A big burst before halftime pushed the Warriors ahead, and they did just enough to put away the pesky Pelicans.
Game 3 is on Thursday in New Orleans. Davis had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon scored 23 points for the Pelicans.
