NEW ORLEANS — Jimmy Butler came here to play, to have an actual impact.
His first two All-Star trips resulted in a nine-minute stint at Madison Square Garden and a DNP-INJ last season, as he rested a strained left knee.
"I want to compete against the best," the Bulls star said, "even though it's a different type of game. I know the gist. Don't go out there trying to guard people 94 feet."
Turns out that Butler might need a refresher on what this game is all about. During one Eastern Conference possession in the third quarter, he passed the ball to a teammate. Twice.
As a result of that unselfishness, Butler's impact was minimal, especially by the standards of a starter.
He did have a dunk and hit a long jumper in the face of DeAndre Jordan. Then he challenged Jordan to fire one from deep against him and the big lefty misfired badly.
Butler finished with six points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field.
"I just wanted to get up and down, get my legs moving," he said.
Photos of Bulls guard/forward Jimmy Butler.
Butler was mellow after the game, saying: "Now I get to lay down and have some real rest. Go to a beach. I'll be in a gym somewhere, but not in Chicago."
He also said "Maybe we should get back" to the days when teams actually played defense in the All-Star Game.
We'll call him a winner for trying to play the game right.
Here are some more:
Winner: Jon Batiste. The native of nearby Kenner, La., used a piano for his melodic rendition of the national anthem.
Loser: Nikki Yanofsky. Reviews were less kind for the Montreal native. Raptors beat writer Doug Smith tweeted: "If anyone knows this woman who sang O Canada, please tell her it's 'THE true north strong and free' not 'OUR' Embarrassing."
Aaron Gordon GERALD HERBERT / POOL / EPAA drone drops a basketball for Aaron Gordon to dunk during the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest at Smoothie King Center on Feb. 18, 2017.
A drone drops a basketball for Aaron Gordon to dunk during the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest at Smoothie King Center on Feb. 18, 2017.
(GERALD HERBERT / POOL / EPA)Winner: John Legend. Twitter was split on his performance, with some saying his mellow style induced yawns. You'll get no complaints from our ears.
Loser: Viewers of the Saturday's slam dunk contest. This just in: There are only so many ways to dunk a basketball. A video of Dikembe Mutombo shaking his head courtside said it all. The event was a dud, other than a sick, soaring slam by winner Glenn Robinson III.
Loser: Viewers of Sunday's slam dunk-a-thon. Sure, some were sweet. John Wall, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook rocked it. But there were also an absurd number of missed alley-oops.
Winner: Alfonzo McKinnie. The Marshall High alum and Windy City Bulls forward scored 16 points in the D-League All-Star Game. He could not best Troy Williams in the dunk contest, though. The former Indiana star won it with a soaring windmill.
Loser: Marv Albert. The legendary play-by-play announcer admitted during the broadcast that he had practiced pronouncing Antentokounmpo's name, but when the lights were on and the mic was hot, the poor guy was just not up to the task. On Antentokounmpo's first points, his last name stopped Albert in his tracks — he simply followed "Giannis ..." with a second of dead air.
Winner: Chicago talent. The Chicago Bulls Bucket Boys performed during a timeout, playing in conjunction with a brass band. The five-man crew wore Bulls gear with white headbands.
Loser: TNT's halftime show. About as strong as the All-Stars' defensive strategy.
Winner: Awareness. Is there a league that does more for people in need than the NBA? Draymond Green was among those who helped construct a new playground in New Orleans on Friday's Day of Service. Saturday featured a clinic and game featuring Special Olympics athletes and NBA ambassadors such as Candace Parker and Frank Kaminsky. Magic Johnson and David Robinson took part in a social responsibility panel Sunday.
Losers: "Walking Dead"/NBA All-Star Game fans. Forced to choose between the two. Fortunately there are probably fewer than a dozen such crossover fans in the world.
Winner: Nike's "Equality Has No Boundaries" commercial, in which it is said: "Opportunity should not discriminate. The ball should bounce the same for everyone."
Loser: Charlotte. The NBA moved the All-Star Game from there after North Carolina politicians failed to repeal a law that limits the protections of LGBT people. But the city still had plenty to get excited about: The International Equestrian Trade Show was in town.
Winner: Beyonce. Got almost as much TV face time as she did during the Grammys.
Loser: Nick Cannon. What WAS he wearing?
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