NBA Wrap: Jimmy Butler leads Bulls comeback, Lakers win third straight

JIMMY Butler scored 40 points in the second half alone to lead the Bulls to victory, and the Lakers won their third straight game. It’s all in the NBA Wrap.

Staff writers with AP

2 min read

January 4, 2016 - 5:51PM

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 03: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on January 03, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

JIMMY Butler scored 40 points in the second half alone to lead the Bulls to victory, and the Lakers won their third straight game.

It’s all in the NBA Wrap.

New York Knicks' Arron Afflalo is helped up by teammates during the second half.

NEW YORK KNICKS 111 — ATLANTA HAWKS 97

Arron Afflalo scored a season-high 38 points and the Knicks beat the Hawks.

Afflalo was 14 for 17 from the field and 7 for 8 from 3-point range, making his first seven attempts and nearing his career best of 43 points.

The Knicks improved to 8-2 when Afflalo scores 15 or more points.

Paul Millsap scored 19 points and Kent Bazemore had 18 for the Hawks.

TORONTO RAPTORS 113 — CHICAGO BULLS 115

Jimmy Butler broke Michael Jordan’s team record for points in a half, scoring 40 of his 42 after the break to lead the Chicago Bulls over the Toronto Raptors 115-113 on Sunday.

Jordan had 39, also in the second half, in a game against Milwaukee in 1989. Butler shot 14 of 19 in the final two quarters after a 1-for-4 start in the Bulls’ fourth straight win.

FORGET BEING LIKE MICHAEL JORDAN; JIMMY BUTLER JUST ECLIPSED HIM

Pau Gasol had his 17th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds as Chicago beat Toronto for the second time in a week and a seventh consecutive time overall.

DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Raptors with 24 points.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS 75 — MIAMI HEAT 97

Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Goran Dragic had 18 and the Heat dominated the undermanned Wizards.

With just nine healthy players, Washington was outscored in the second quarter 25-7. The Wizards missed 20 of their 22 field goal attempts as the Heat took a 50-31 halftime lead.

John Wall, who led Washington with 14 points, hit just six of his 21 field goal attempts.

The Wizards shot just 34.1 percent and their 75 points were a season low. Miami allowed its fewest points of the season.

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh celebrates a three-point shot with Washington Wizards forward Kris Humphries behind, in the second half.

DENVER NUGGETS 106 — PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 112

CJ McCollum had 25 points and seven assists, leading the Trail Blazers to a victory over the Nuggets.

Gerald Henderson scored 19 points and Al-Farouq Aminu had 14 for Portland, which has won four of its last five.

Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 29 points in his second game back from a sprained left ankle. Denver has lost six straight, two off its season high.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 97 — PHOENIX SUNS 77

Lou Williams scored a season-high 30 points, and the Lakers sent Phoenix to its ninth straight loss.

The Lakers, coming off victories over Boston and Philadelphia, have won three in a row for the first time since Feb. 22-27. Rookie Larry Nance Jr. had 15 points and tied a season high with his second straight 14-rebound game.

Kobe Bryant sat out his second straight game because of a sore right shoulder.

Brandon Knight had 25 points, nine assists and three rebounds for the Suns, who shot 36 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 38 points.