The Boston Celtics didn’t look like themselves during Thursday’s 117-108 home loss to the Chicago Bulls. Boston tied a franchise record by missing 42 3-point attempts (14 of 56) and was outscored 35-22 in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics will try to regain their form and avoid losing to the Bulls for the second time in three nights when they visit Chicago on Saturday.
“We were getting decent looks, but we just weren’t making them,” Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis said. “And when you’re not making them, not that our energy was lacking, but it’s just not the same hype. And honestly, they were taking and making some tough shots, and they were also making the open ones.”
Chicago’s Zach LaVine connected on 6 of 11 3-point attempts and finished the game with a season-high 36 points.
“He’s been great, very unselfish,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said of LaVine. “He’s tried to lead. His poise, his composure has been great. That first half (20 points) he really carried us. Zach kept playing the right way, picked his spots, took his shots when they were there. I thought he played a great game as far as shot selection, the quality of shots, how aggressive he was to keep us close that first half. I thought he was great all the way around.”
LaVine scored five consecutive points after Boston made it a 99-96 game on a Jaylen Brown 3-pointer. Two of those five points came on free throws after Boston coach Joe Mazzulla and Brown were each hit with a technical foul with 5:12 to play — Mazzulla for walking onto the court and Brown for asking why his coach was given the tech. Jayson Tatum also received a technical with 3:10 remaining.
“I thought the physicality — we met it better in the second half and particularly in the fourth quarter,” Donovan said. “Everyone wants to talk about them shooting 3s, and they are great at it, maybe the best in the league. But it’s the other stuff they do, the physicality, that they can switch one through four or five, that they can post you, go to the offensive glass, generate extra possessions. They’re physical. Besides how great they are as individual players, to me it’s the other stuff they do.”
The victory ended Chicago’s five-game losing streak against Boston, which included a 138-129 home loss on Nov. 29. It also gave the Bulls three straight victories for the first time this season.
“From all predictions early on in the year, we’re better than what people predicted us to be just off the talent we had here,” LaVine said. “We’re competitive. You can lose to anyone in the league, and you go out and play like we did (Thursday), we can beat anybody. We’re a resilient group.”
The Bulls were 19 of 52 from 3-point range during Thursday’s win. They trailed 57-54 at halftime and 86-82 entering the fourth, but used a 12-0 run to take a 99-90 lead.
Boston shot 39.2 percent from the field, which was its worst shooting percentage in a game this season. Jayson Tatum had 31 points and 10 rebounds but was 10-of-22 shooting from the field.
“They played physical,” Brown said. “They hit shots. They guarded well. If a team’s hitting shots and guarding well, anything can happen on any given night.”
–Field Level Media
