The Chicago Bulls got top scorer Jimmy Butler back, but it was rookie Nikola Mirotic who led the way to locking up a playoff berth.

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In Butler’s first game since returning from an elbow injury which forced him to sit out 11 games, Chicago handled the Charlotte Hornets 98-86 on Monday. With Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau placing no limit on his shooting guard’s playing time, Butler was on the floor for 40 minutes.

He did, however, look rusty as he shot just 6-of-20 from the field, but his presence in the lineup was more than welcome after being sidelined for the past three weeks.

“It was great to have him back. Great,” Thibodeau said. “He had a bunch of bunnies that he always makes, so his timing was not quite there but I thought as the game went on, he started to get into a rhythm.”

With Butler struggling to find his form, Mirotic stepped up off the bench to score a team-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting. The forward has had a monster March, averaging 21.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game this month.

When Butler was out, the 24-year-old filled a crucial hole in the offence and helped keep Chicago afloat in the midst of several injuries.

“Man, dude can play. He’s basically carried this month, to tell you the truth,” Butler said. “He’s confident, I think he’s only going to continue to get better because he’s always in a gym working on his game and it shows.”

Mirotic’s minutes have taken a sharp rise and his role has expanded, but he’s only started in three of his 72 appearances this season. He’ll likely remain on the bench for the foreseeable future and serve as the sixth man, giving the Bulls a scoring punch off in the second unit.

“I like the role he’s in,” Thibodeau said. “I think that’s the best role for him right now.”

The win over Charlotte ensures Chicago will be in the playoffs again for their seventh straight trip to the post-season. The standings in the East are far from set though with the Bulls in a battle with Toronto and Washington for the third seed, as well as in shouting distance of Cleveland for the second spot.

Chicago’s Pau Gasol said: “We’ve got 10 games left to play, each and every game will be important and critical for our seeding and we’ve got to create momentum and consistency going into the playoffs.”