Butler leads Bulls past Hawks, 85-84, in preseason

CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 20-point fourth quarter and the Chicago Bulls rallied from a 21-point deficit with 11 minutes to play to beat the Atlanta Hawks 85-84 on Thursday night in an exhibition game.<br /> <br /> Butler, who only played 6 minutes in the fourth, had a game-high 29 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 12-for-16 shooting from the line.<br /> <br /> Forward Mike Scott led the Hawks (2-2) with 15 points.<br /> <br /> Pau Gasol had 11 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, and Joakim Noah had seven points and 13 rebounds. Derrick Rose had 10 points in 20 minutes.<br /> <br /> Chicago (3-2) struggled to score for much of the game, managing no more than 17 points in any of the first three quarters before erupting for 38 points in the final quarter.<br /> <br /> The Bulls also rallied from a 21-point deficit in the first half Monday night to beat Denver 110-90.<br /> <br /> Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau put starters Butler, Noah and Gasol back in the game midway through the fourth and they led the rally against Atlanta reserves.<br /> <br /> Butler tied the game at 82 with three free throws with 14.1 seconds left. Dennis Schroder (11 points) hit a driving layup with 1.5 seconds left to put the Hawks back on top and set the stage for Butler's game winner.