Feb. 05--HOUSTON -- An intriguing first quarter ended with the Bulls and Rockets tied 27-27.
The Bulls had two clear highlights, and they came in back-to-back plays: A pair of fast breaks, one ending with Derrick Rose's third dunk of the season.
Jimmy Butler, playing before friends and family, finished off the second one. Butler is from nearby Tomball, Texas, and said before the game that he was fired up to face James Harden, who is averaging 27.0 points.
"He's making his mark for MVP," Butler said. "But that's what I wake up for, to go up against the best in this league. That's what you dream of."
Butler has done a decent job on Harden, who scored seven first-quarter points on 3-for-8 shooting.
tgreenstein@tribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
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