Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson Returning For Bulls

By Cody Westerlund--

(CBS) Losers of four in a row and having fallen to .500, the Bulls will get some reinforcements Saturday night when they host the Rockets.

All-Star wing and leading scorer Jimmy Butler will return to the lineup, coach Fred Hoiberg said, after missing the past 11 games with a left knee strain. The Bulls went 3-8 in Butler's absence.

Butler will guard Rockets star James Harden.

"Jimmy gives you the ability to guard guys one on one," Hoiberg said. "You're not having to scramble and put double-team schemes together, because of Jimmy's ability to move his feet and use his physicality."

Forward Taj Gibson will also return after missing Wednesday's loss against the Magic with a right hamstring strain.

"There's no time to worry about injuries right now," Gibson said.

At 30-30, the Bulls are in ninth place in the East, a half-game behind the eighth-place Pistons.

"Having some toughness, guarding somebody," Gibson said of the key to a turnaround for the Bulls. "Understand that there could be no tomorrow if we don't keep winning games.

"It comes down to will."

Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is also "close" to a return, Hoiberg said. Mirotic has been out since a late January appendectomy was followed by a second surgery for complications. Mirotic has taken charges in practice, so he's been fully ramped up with the contact. He's currently ruled out for Saturday's game still, though, Hoiberg added.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.