PORTLAND -- With the first half coming to a close, Jimmy Butler casually took an inbound pass from Joakim Noah, took one dribble and lunched a halfcourt prayer before the first-half buzzer sounded.
Although he didn’t expect it to go in, a 45-foot shot seemed like a layup when it comfortably fell through the net, perhaps the biggest signal something would go in the Bulls’ favor in a building that didn’t produce the best luck in recent years.
And when Noah jumped out on a defensive switch with C.J. McCollum with seconds left, one had to think “not again” as McCollum jumped into Noah but wasn’t bailed out by the refs, helping the Bulls escape late after their offense went cold.