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 Butler scored a career-high 53 points and Moore added seven of his
14 in the extra period, lifting the Bulls to a 115-11 victory.
"That's as good of a performance as I've seen," Bulls coach Fred
Hoiberg said after Butler went 15-for-30 from the floor and
21-for-25 from the foul line.
He also contributed 10 rebounds and six assists for Chicago, which
rested center Pau Gasol and was without guard Derrick Rose
(tendinitis, left knee).
"He's an All-Star for a reason," Philadelphia guard Ish Smith of
Butler, and he's playing at an MVP-type of level."
Butler actually begged to differ.
"I'm not playing the best basketball in my life," he said.
"Fifty-eight in a YMCA league (in high school) was my best
basketball."
His point total was the most ever by an opponent in the Wells Fargo
Center, and the most by a Bull since Jamal Crawford scored 50
against Toronto on April 11, 2004.
"Everybody sees my 53 points but that's not the reason we won,"
Butler said. "E'Twaun making big baskets late (was critical). That
guy gets a lot of the credit for this win."
Philadelphia scored the first four points of the extra period, but
Moore made a 3-pointer, then a floater over center/forward Nerlens
Noel with3:16 left to put Chicago ahead for good, 109-108.
After a Sixers turnover, Moore made another jumper with 2:37
remaining. Butler's breakaway layup with 1:20 to play gave the Bulls
a 113-108 cushion.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said the extra defensive attention his team
gave Butler led to Moore?s outburst.
"We made the adjustment, and then Moore punished us badly," Brown
said. "He had seven consecutive points. To me, that was the game."
Smith, who had 24 points and eight assists, nailed a 3-pointer to
cut the gap to two with 1:04 left, but his potential game-tying
layup with 25 seconds remaining spilled off the rim.
Bulls backup forward Doug McDermott hit two free throws with 10.4
seconds left to account for the final margin.
McDermott scored 17 points and forward Taj Gibson collected 11
points and 11 rebounds for Chicago. Center Joakim Noah had six
points, 16 boards and eight assists.
The Bulls, who trailed by 24 points in the second quarter, went
ahead 104-101 when Moore buried a 3-pointer with 1:17 left in
regulation, but Smith answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 17.6
left to tie it.
Forward Robert Covington scored 25 points, his second-highest total
of the season, to lead Philadelphia. The Sixers, 4-37 at the
season's midpoint, are ahead of the pace of their 1972-73 team,
which has the worst full-season record in NBA history (9-73).
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"I was pleased with them the whole game, really, really pleased,"
Brown said of his players. "How can we not leave that game feeling
like the team is heading in the right direction."
The Sixers, up 21-20 early in the game, went on a 29-6 run to build
a 50-26 lead with 6:22 left in the second quarter, their biggest
cushion of the season. Center Jahlil Okafor provided eight of his 12
points in the flurry, two of them when Noah fouled him as he
attempted on a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer in the second
quarter.
Chicago crept within 14 late in the half, but Smith hit a jumper
over Tony Snell at the buzzer, making it 62-46.
The Sixers, who scored their most points in a first half this
season, shot 54.5 percent and forced 12 Bulls turnovers, while
committing only three themselves.
Butler notched 25 points in the first 24 minutes, making 14 of 16
free throw attempts.
He added 11 points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer from
the left wing with 2.4 seconds left, as the Bulls outscored the
76ers 31-17 to cut the gap to 79-77.
Chicago limited Philadelphia to 5-for-20 shooting in the period and
seized eight offensive rebounds.
The Bulls finished the night with a 53-34 rebounding advantage.
NOTES: 76ers coach Brett Brown praised the pairing of general
manager Sam Hinkie and newly hired executive Jerry Colangelo, both
of whom said Thursday that it's possible the struggling franchise
can reverse its fortunes within the next year. "I just feel like
there's a partnership that those two are forming," Brown said, "that
I think complements each other." ... Philadelphia F Jerami Grant did
not play because of a strained left calf. Brown said he hopes to
have him Saturday against Portland. ... Chicago G Kirk Hinrich made
his sixth start of the season in place of G Derrick Rose. Hinrich
scored five points. ... Sixers G/F Nik Stauskas left the game in the
second half with a bruised left shoulder and did not return.
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