Lou Williams wins Sixth Man

Toronto Raptors guard Lou Williams has won the NBA's Sixth Man Award.

He was honored Monday as the league's best reserve after averaging a career-high 15.5 points in his 10th season and helping Toronto win a franchise-record 49 games.

Williams, a former 76er, received 78 first-place votes and 502 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics finished second with 324 points (33 first-place votes). Two-time winner Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers was third with 131 points (eight first-place votes).

Williams came off the bench in all 80 of his appearances and averaged 25.2 minutes. He led or tied for the team lead in scoring 18 times, second most in the league for a reserve. The Raptors went 14-4 in those games. He also led the Raptors in free-throw percentage (86.1) and made a career-high 152 three-pointers.

Jimmy Butler set a playoff career high for the second straight game with 31 points as the Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 91-82, in Chicago to take a two-games-to-none lead in their first-round series.

After scoring 25 points in Game 1, Butler trumped that with another terrific performance. He was at his best down the stretch, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Chicago's Derrick Rose scored all of his 15 points in the second half after dominating in the series opener.

Pau Gasol added 11 points and 16 rebounds and Mike Dunleavy Jr. scored 12 points as the third-seeded Bulls grabbed a commanding lead in the series.

Game 3 is Thursday at Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton led the sixth-seeded Bucks with 22 points. Michael Carter-Williams scored 12.

Point guard Tyreke Evans of Chester was scheduled to play for the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2 Monday night of their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, while backup Jrue Holiday sat out with an injury.

The Pelicans said Evans would play despite a bone bruise in his left knee while Holiday would not see action because of soreness in his lower right leg.

Evans was injured in a collision with Warriors forward Andre Iguodala in Game 1. Holiday missed 41 games with a stress reaction in his right leg before returning April 10.

Norris Cole was expected to play behind Evans.

As president, coach and part owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders holds as much influence with the franchise as any coach in the NBA.

So it will largely be up to Saunders to decide how long he wants to hold the dual roles of coach and executive that so few of his brethren do in the league.

At his end-of-the-season news conference following an NBA-worst 16-66 season that was filled with injuries, disappointment and the development of young star Andrew Wiggins, Saunders gave no indication that he will be relinquishing the coaching duties this summer.

"I'll coach until I feel we need to move in a different direction," Saunders said.

Last summer Saunders had conversations with several coaches before selecting himself to succeed the retired Rick Adelman.