Thunder vs. Bulls: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016-17 Regular Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder went into the United Center on Monday night and thumped the Chicago Bulls 109-94 for their second consecutive win.

In what was poised to be a tasty matchup, an illness put a damper on the battle between Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Chicago's Jimmy Butler.

Butler, who was coming off a 42-point effort Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, suited up despite battling flu-like symptoms but lasted only three quarters while scoring just a single point.

Westbrook recorded his 17th triple-double of the season during Oklahoma City's 121-106 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and looked poised to make it 18 on Monday.

However, he came up a rebound short, posting 21 points, 14 assists and nine boards to pace the Thunder.

While Westbrook facilitated Oklahoma City's offense, veteran Dwyane Wade attempted to carry the Bulls, posting 22 points in the loss.

In the process, he showed he still can be explosive, via NBA TV:

But Wade had a scare that could have ended his night early when he collided with Nikola Mirotic and headed to the locker room while rubbing his neck with three minutes to go.

With Butler a non-factor on the offensive end, the Bulls had problems keeping up with the Thunder, who bullied Chicago down low.

On the night, the Thunder dropped 60 points in the paint, including 18 of their first 26 in the game, via the Thunder:

Steven Adams and Enes Kanter were the most responsible for Oklahoma City's dominance inside. Adams posted a team-leading 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while Kanter was close behind with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

They drew comparisons to Alabama's college football team, which was competing for its fifth national title in eight years Monday night, per Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago:

Feeding off that, the Thunder built a 17-point lead in the first half, but Wade ensured the Bulls wouldn't fall much further behind.

Wade, who scored 14 points in the first half, helped Chicago get to within three, and Cristiano Felicio capped off an 18-4 run with a circus tip-in, via the Bulls:

But Westbrook's ability to control the game allowed the Thunder to rebuild a 15-point lead by halftime. At the break, Westbrook was on pace for his 18th triple-double of the season with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and he ended the half in style, as the Thunder showed:

Adams continued to dominate down low, and the New Zealand native hit the 20-point mark in style during the third quarter:

As Erik Horne of The Oklahoman pointed out, it's a new fad for Adams:

Butler's illness looked as though it got the best of him as he left the floor during the third quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the night. The Bulls couldn't do much to slow Oklahoma City down, anyway, as the Thunder's lead swelled to 22 entering the fourth quarter.

Chicago trimmed the deficit to 13, making head coach Billy Donovan uneasy enough to leave Westbrook in the game until the 1:18 mark, when the Thunder had rebuilt a 19-point advantage.

However, he wound up a rebound short of his second straight triple-double.

While the win is diminished because of Butler's illness, it's still a step in the right direction for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday.

For the Bulls, their three-game winning streak was broken in unceremonious fashion. A main concern now will be getting their best player back onto the floor healthy as Chicago tries to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

Postgame Reaction

Wade wasn't sugarcoating things after his team fell to 19-19 on the year, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times:

"

Like I've said, we are what our record says we are. I know everyone would want to believe that they're somebody that they ain't. We're [.500] for a reason. We go out and play those games. So we are what our record says we are.

Who knows what we're going to end up at the end of the season. If we're going to be a .500 team, if we're going to be below it or above. But right now we are what we are.

"

While Wade brooded over his team's play, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg provided an update on Butler, per Cowley:

"

Appreciate him coming out and giving it a shot. It says a lot about him as a competitor, but he was really struggling obviously. They sent him home after we took him out in the third quarter, and he will not travel with us [Tuesday to Washington D.C.]. Shows the type of warrior Jimmy is to go out and try and fight through that. Didn't play out as we hoped.

"

For Donovan's Thunder, the team goes how Westbrook goes, and the man holding the clipboard has been thankful for his star's high intensity every night.

"It's very comforting knowing that every night, your best player is gonna give everything he has out there," Donovan said, per Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript. "He may not always play great, but you know effort-wise, it's never gonna be because of that, and I'll never take that for granted."

The Thunder can't enjoy the win too much with a busy schedule waiting for them. Beginning Jan. 11, Oklahoma City has five games in eight nights, including three straight road games on the West Coast against the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors.