LOS ANGELES -- Jimmy Butler called his shot before Sunday's 118-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Chicago Bulls' All-Star swingman knew he would have to score more on Sunday with the Bulls playing without Dwyane Wade, who was sitting out the game to rest on the second night of a back-to-back.

So Butler, who is averaging 24.0 points per game this season, told his head coach, Fred Hoiberg, that he would take matters into his own hands as the Bulls tried to bounce back from a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

"He told me before the game, 'Coach, I'm going for 40 tonight,' " Hoiberg said. "And he did it."

Butler finished the game with a season-high 40 points, going 14-for-23 from the fieldand 12-for-14 from the foul line. He also added seven rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes. In a month full of dominating performances, Butler saved his best game of the short season when his team needed it most.

Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler knew he'd be without Dwyane Wade against the Lakers on Sunday night, telling head coach Fred Hoiberg he was going to score 40 points -- which he promptly did. Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

"He is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence, and that's where it starts," Hoiberg said. "If you believe you can do it, that's a pretty good place to start. Jimmy thinks every time he steps on the floor he's the best player out there, and more often than not