3-pointers: Breaking down the Bulls' victory

April 01--The Bulls improved to 38-37 with their road victory over the Rockets. Here are three observations:

Nikola Mirotic followed through on his goal

Following his 28-point performance in Indiana, Mirotic said he knew he needed to be more consistent. How about matching that point total against Houston?

Beyond the scoring output, which was desperately needed, Mirotic again displayed the confidence and decisiveness that has lacked in his offensive game at times. Even his pump-fake worked, thanks to the ill-advised defense of Michael Beasley.

"When I play aggressive, we usually win," Mirotic said.

The Bulls are now 19-10 when the second-year forward scores in double figures.

Jimmy Butler continues to look comfortable initiating offense

Remember when Butler half-jokingly talked about viewing himself as a point guard in training camp? It's been clear all season that Butler has added ball-handling and ability to play in screen-and-roll to his offensive resume.

But with Derrick Rose out for the second half to an elbow injury and E'Twaun Moore on consecutive minutes restrictions as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, the Bulls gave Butler the ball in the primary decision-making role down the stretch.

Butler recorded four of his six assists in the second half.

"It's really simple," Butler said. "Dribble and shoot when you're open. Pass when you're not. It also helps to have a big like Pau (Gasol) who can also pass, Niko making shots, Doug (McDermott) making shots, E'Twaun making shots. I've got the easy job."

Cristiano Felicio is a legitimate NBA player

He's not a savior. He may not even be a starter. But he certainly looks to be a rotation player. Beyond his strength and speed, he has quick feet and hands defensively and rebounds well in traffic.

That's two straight games in which the rookie has provided solid contributions in crunch-time minutes. Coach Fred Hoiberg even fielded a question on whether he thought about sticking with Felicio down the stretch over future Hall of Famer Pau Gasol.

Hoiberg didn't. But Felicio still made his fourth-quarter mark.