The 8 Best NBA Performances From Last Week: Chef Curry Cooks the Clips

7. Jimmy Butler vs. Atanta Hawks

A lot of drama transpired in Chicago this past week -- that much is undeniable. Right in the middle of that drama was Jimmy Butler, who took a lot of flack for the way he spoke out against his younger teammates. Whether or not you think Butler should receive more or less of the blame for the Bulls' disconnect is up to you, but Butler's game isn't.

On the court, this is the best season of Butler's six-year career. He's had big game after big game, which, like this Wednesday, hasn't always yielded a Chicago win.

In the Bulls' five-point home loss to the Hawks, Butler scored 40 points in 40 minutes. He converted 13 of his 22 field goal attempts, including 4 of 8 from three. He also went a perfect 10 for 10 from the free throw line. His shooting proficiency made for a 75.8% true shooting to go along with a 54.26 nERD. All that to come up short in a highly-contested Eastern Conference game.