Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade don’t hold back on teammates after Bulls’ loss

CHICAGO – In a season of not-so-great moments with a not-so-great team, Wednesday night may have been the low point.

Sitting with a ten-point lead with just over three minutes to go against the Hawks at the United Center, the Bulls completely collapsed.

They were outscored 12-0 two minutes and 19-4 to end the game as a sure victory turned into their 24th defeat on the season.

For all the ups and downs of this season, this one might have been the worst. With just under a minute left their appeared to be some confusion between head coach Fred Hoiberg and Jimmy Butler on a timeout call. Then Nikola Mirotic, not Butler (40 points) or Dwyane Wade (33 points) were taking critical shots in the final minute to tie or take the lead.

Perhaps that’s why both of the Bulls’ stars went off when they met with reporters in the locker room after the game.

“I wish I could say that everyone in here is going to go home and not eat tonight. I can’t say that. I don’t know that they care enough,” said Wade to the Chicago Tribune.“Games are supposed to hurt. You’re not supposed to sleep. You’re not supposed to want to talk to anybody. I don’t know if that is in guys in this locker room.”

Butler echoed similar sentiments to reporter K.C. Johnson and other assembled media: “If you don’t come in this (expletive) pissed off after you lose any game, something is wrong.”

The talk continued after the game on social media with Wade posting this to his Twitter account.

Bulls guard Jerian Grant, who was not specifically called out by Butler or Wade, took to Twitter to defend his effort after the game.

Around 5 PM on Thursday, Rajon Rondo wrote this on Instagram.

My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn't take days off. My vets didn't care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn't blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn't have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn't change the plan because it didn't work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership.

A post shared by Rajon Rondo (@rajonrondo) on Jan 26, 2017 at 3:03pm PST