CHICAGO – Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 29 points and drilled a game-winning three-pointer to give the Bulls an 85-84 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Butler, who scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, connected on 8-of-14 from the field and 12-of-16 from the free throw line.
Pau Gasol finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for Chicago (3-2), while Derrick Rose scored 10 and Joakim Noah recorded seven points and 13 boards.
Mike Scott led Atlanta with 15 points, while Dennis Schroder chipped in 11, including a driving layup that put the Hawks up 84-82 with 1.5 seconds left in the game.
As it was in Monday's victory over Denver, another comeback was necessary for Chicago, which trailed by as many as 21 points. Rose scored all of his points in the first half but the Bulls still faced a 42-32 deficit at the intermission.
Atlanta opened the third quarter on a 14-5 run and led 66-47 heading into the final frame. At that point, Chicago had committed 17 turnovers and connected on just 1-of-14 from behind the arc.
The fourth quarter was another story, however, as Butler, Gasol and Noah returned to action and Chicago took control of the game, outscoring Atlanta 38-18 in the final frame.
Mike Dunleavy (knee) sat out for the Bulls, while rookie Doug McDermott (four points, nine rebounds) made his second start of the preseason.
The Bulls will continue their eight-game preseason schedule on Sunday when they host the Charlotte Hornets (7:00 p.m. CT | WGN-TV & NBA TV | ESPN 1000 AM).