The Boston Celtics took revenge for their bitter defeat two weeks ago and beat the Chicago Bulls with 117:92. After a well-balanced first half, Celtics can’t be stopped after the switch. Daniel Theis convinces as a beast among the boards.
Two defeats in a row, plus the bitter battle two weeks ago in Chicago. The Celtics had some good things to do and they did. From the beginning a lively game developed. Celtics were hit hard at first, while the Bulls stayed on thanks to some offense rebounds and the strong second unit around Bobby Portis.
After the switch, however, Celtics Defense picked up noticeably, having previously admitted 58 points. Boston pushed numerous turnovers and, thanks to Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown, was really hot from outside (together 4/4 threesome in the third quarter). The reservists also did better this time and upgraded the lead at the end of the section to 22 points.
So the game spun out slowly, even though coach Brad Stevens let either Irving or Horford play with the reserve players for a while. Irving was with 25 points (9/15 FG, 5/7 threesomes) and 7 assists best scoring, in addition Brown (20.7/10 FG) contributed an efficient game. Jayson Tatum (11 points, 6/13 FG, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) also had many good moments. Daniel Theis (10.1/5 FG, 8/8 FT, 2 Assists, 2 Steals) recorded a Career High in Rebounds (15,5 offensive) in 24 minutes and came on his second double of the season.
The NBA live at SPOX! All games in the LIVESTREAM calendar!
For Chicago, Portis was top scorer. However, 15 of his 17 points came already in the first half. He was then logged off. Lauri Markkanen and Justin Holiday scored 12 points. Paul Zipser (5.2/5 FG) stayed pale in his 17 minutes, but cleared Semi Ojeleye up to the point of darkness.
Celtics vs. Bulls: This way to the BOXSCORE!
Kyrie Irving. The Guard scored consistently in the past games, but this time everything seemed to be much more controlled. He did not force anything and chose his litters prudently. His defence was also much better again and reminded more of the strong games at the beginning of the season. In addition, there were some highlights, especially in the first quarter, when Kris Dunn and Markkanen nibbled on his unique ball handling within a very short time.
Kris Dunn. Raven-black evening for the Point Guard. He distributed good 7 assists, but he couldn’t create for himself at all. Of the twelve litters, eleven were tickets. In the zone, he was unable to place any of his six attempts in the basket. For a Guard with a wobbly jumper a No Go. Without a single free throw.
Celtics have had a brutal schedule in recent weeks, and coach Stevens reduced the minutes of his starters accordingly, partly because Jaylen Brown was an important rotation player. Horford and Irving in particular were given long breaks, even though Celtics reserve players obviously had big problems in the first half. The explosion in the third quarter meant that the stars’ services were no longer in demand late in the game. With the exception of Tatum, no Celtic played more than 27 minutes.