Bradley wants Butler to respect his game: 'I won 2 battles in a row'

Perhaps it's time for Jimmy Butler to put some respect on Avery Bradley's name.

Despite his reputation as a defensive stopper on the perimeter, Bradley showed off his offensive repertoire in the final two games of the Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls series, averaging 23.5 points on scorching 64.5 percent shooting.

After Boston's series-clinching victory in Game 6 on Friday, Bradley revealed that he'd heard about some comments Butler had made in Game 5, in which the Bulls star suggested Bradley shouldn't be scoring so much (Bradley finished that contest with 24 points in an 11-point win).

If anything, it seems Bradley used that as extra motivation.

"I usually don't say anything, and I just go out there and play hard, but I feel like every player should respect his game and respect the guys that go out there and prepare every single night," said Bradley. "I feel like I won the battle tonight. Not only that, I play hard every single game.

"He (Jimmy) should respect that - somebody that goes up and gives him respect every single game. I'm just going to leave it there. Like I said, I definitely won two battles in a row."

Butler shot 42.6 percent from the field and 21.1 percent from 3-point range when guarded by Bradley throughout the series. Bradley, on the other hand, was far more efficient while defended by Butler, converting 75 percent of his shots.