Bulls clinch 7th straight playoff berth in Butler's return

Jimmy Butler's back, Nikola Mirotic is hitting ridiculous step-back jumpers, and the Chicago Bulls are heading back to the playoffs. 

Chicago, 43-29, clinched its seventh straight postseason appearance, and 10th in the last 11 seasons, with a 98-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. 

Butler scored 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting in his return from an 11-game absence, while Mirotic poured in 28 points off the bench. Pau Gasol had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and showed off his range, going 4-of-6 from deep. He added three assists, one steal and four blocks. 

The Bulls outscored the Hornets 50-37 in the second half and Mirotic saved his best for the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points in the final frame. He also did this to poor Jason Maxiell.

While Butler understandably struggled with his shot, he had nine rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. He finished a team-best plus-13 on the night, and Tom Thibodeau must be thrilled to have him back on the defensive end of the floor. 

The Hornets shot a paltry 34.6 from the field, and were paced by Kemba Walker, who had a game-high 20 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Mo Williams had 15 points, five assists and six rebounds, while Gerald Henderson had 11 points and nine rebounds. Henderson, Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist combined to shoot a disgusting 6-of-27.

Charlotte drops into ninth in the East with the loss, as the Boston Celtics moved past them into eighth after beating the Brooklyn Nets, with help from Evan Turner's triple-double. 

As for the Bulls, who improved to 23-14 at home, they're still waiting for one more thing: the return of Derrick Rose.