Jimmy Butler entered Monday having averaged 15.3 points on 52.5 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks over his previous six games, adding efficient offense to his already strong presence on defense for the Chicago Bulls.

"His demeanor is terrific," Tom Thibodeau said. "There are plays in which he defends as well as you can defend and they make (a shot). He comes right back and does it over and over again. When you can make a scorer work for his points, that's all you can ask.

"And then to carry over what he does offensively, to run the floor, move without the ball, get into pick-and-roll, to post, we're asking a lot. And he's playing at a very high level."