Bulls display an edge in the season-opening win over the Celtics

SHARE Bulls display an edge in the season-opening win over the Celtics
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Jimmy Butler wasn’t looking to take a shot at what the make-up of his team was last year.

He just couldn’t help himself.

Then again, when a group was as broken and dysfunctional as last year’s Bulls were by the end, Butler wasn’t taking a shot as much as just being dead honest.

Thursday’s 105-99 win over the Boston Celtics in the season opener was further evidence of that.

“I just think it’s peoples’ will to win,’’ Butler said following the solid debut to the 2016-17 campaign. “I’m not saying a bad thing about anybody from last year. I just think, to tell you the truth I study the game a lot and I put in a lot of work, but [new teammate Rajon] Rondo studies the game a lot. Every time I’m in the gym he’s in the gym, working on his game.

“That lets me know that this [bleep] is coming to war with you every day.’’

That was tested just before half against the Celtics, after Boston’s Jae Crowder lowered a shoulder into Butler off the dribble, as the two fell to the court and bodies tangled up. There was some shoving and a ball thrust in the chest. Marquette on Marquette crime, as Butler and Crowder were teammates and friends back in college.

And there was also Rondo.

When Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas came into the mix, Rondo wasn’t going to have any of that, as those two exchanged shoves and pleasantries.

Once calmer heads prevailed Crowder, Butler, Rondo and Thomas each picked up technicals.

Basically, a scene that never really took place last season, as very few players had each other’s backs.

“When I hit that deck Rondo was right there, you know,’’ Butler said of the importance of that moment. “I want to play with guys that’s going to play hard, that’s going to fight. Dwyane Wade, Rondo, everyone around this locker room wants to win. It’s real.’’

Taj Gibson doesn’t think it’s going away anytime with this group, either.

“We’re hungry right now,’’ Gibson said. “We have a lot of guys that have tasted success, and we got a lot of young guys that want to taste that success. Point blank, period. We’re playing with a lot of guys that are unselfish and everybody is doing what they’ve got to do.’’

Gibson sure did, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Butler and Rondo did their parts, as Butler scored 24 and Rondo handed out nine assists, and then there was Wade. All 34 years of him, finally making his highly-anticipated regular-season debut back in the hometown he grew up in.

The veteran not only hit a clutch three late, but continued to re-invent himself, shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the three-point line on his way to a 22-point night.

Even more impressive, that three-point shot is something he’s been working on almost every day with Hoiberg at the end of practice, showing that he’s still willing to be coached after all these years.

“You never want to feel like you have all the answers,’’ Wade said of the work he’s put in with Hoiberg. “You might as well go sit down somewhere if you feel like that. You always want to get out there and get work in. If I was a guy who came in and had a t-shirt, always talking about my accomplishments, guys would get tired of that. No one cares about that.

“I’m in the present, and it’s about doing as much as I can now.’’

A much different attitude than last season’s mess, indeed.

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