Jimmy Butler Says He's Looking Forward to Guarding Isaiah Thomas in NBA Playoffs

As the Chicago Bulls look to upset the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the 2017 Eastern Conference playoffs, Jimmy Butler is embracing the challenge of guarding Isaiah Thomas when the series begins Sunday at TD Garden.  

Talking to reporters after the Bulls' practice Friday, Butler said he understands the difficulty of the task ahead of him, per ESPN's Nick Friedell:

"

I look forward to that matchup. Especially what he's done this year for that team. I know that it's going to come at some point in time. I don't know when — but I'm going to make it tough for him. For anybody that I'm guarding. Not just me, it's going to be a team effort. I'm going to get beat at times, I'm going to need guys to be there. If not, then we'll do it over and over again 'til somebody is there if I'm beat. But I look forward to that challenge. I want that.

"

Friedell noted Butler likely won't match up against Thomas the entire time the Bulls and Celtics play this series, though the forward did say he wants to defend Boston's star "the whole game."

The Bulls earned the No. 8 seed in the East with a 41-41 record by winning six of their final eight games, edging out the Miami Heat on a head-to-head tiebreak. They split four games with the Celtics during the regular season, with the home team winning each time.

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