The Boston Celtics returned residence after a prolonged street journey to face the Bulls. Boston led all night time within the 115-101 win. Chicago got here into the sport with accidents up and down the roster and struggled to shoot the ball within the first half. Anfernee Simons was scoreless within the first half, however ended with a team-high 27 factors for Boston. Payton Pritchard chipped in 21 factors on the night time.
Joe Mazzulla caught with the successful beginning 5 from the Clippers sport with Sam Hauser instead of Jordan Walsh. Chicago got here into the sport lacking a mess of gamers with Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, Trentyn Flowers, and Josh Giddey all dominated out. Coby White was questionable previous to the sport, however began for the street workforce.
The Celtics had a tough early taking pictures begin to the sport, hitting on simply 5 of 15 to start out the competition. Jaylen Brown opened up the sport taking pictures 1-3, Queta 2-5, and Pritchard went 0-3 to start out the sport. On the 6-minute mark of the primary quarter, the C’s by some means managed to have a 12-9 lead, as Chicago was additionally taking pictures poorly.
Rookie Hugo Gonzalez hit his first shot of the sport, and Sam Hauser drained a rhythm three from the highest key for his sixth level of the sport, assisted by Derrick White. That bucket capped an 8-2 run for Boston as they took a nine-point lead, 20-11. Julian Phillips’ first three-pointer of the sport for Chicago stored the Bulls in contact.
Jordan Walsh, who had a terrific sport in LA two nights in the past, drove and completed with an outstretched finger roll off the backboard to present Boston a 31-14 lead on the finish of 1 quarter. Boston closed out the quarter on a 25-5 run; Chicago was terrible to start out the sport, going simply 27 p.c from the sector with 4 turnovers.
Celtics legend Dee Brown was in attendance on the sport alongside proprietor Invoice Chisholm courtside, and the Celtics’ former dunk contest champion was given a standing ovation at the beginning of the second quarter. Matas Buzelis and Kevin Huerter scored two straight buckets for Chicago on the inside; Luka Garza matched together with his personal mini hook shot on the offensive board to start out the second quarter.
Chicago continued to be ICE COLD from three; they have been a paltry 2-19 from past the stripe on the seven-minute mark of the second quarter. Boston was in management, however the residence workforce was taking pictures simply 32 p.c general however by some means loved a 39-20 lead.
Huerter and Buzelis have been the lone shiny spots for Chicago; the pair racked up 17 of Chicago’s 22 factors. Boston was successful the rebounding conflict additionally; the Celtics had 13 offensive boards and counting on the 4-minute mark. Chicago’s first free throws of the sport got here at 4:19 minutes as Isaac Okoro drove and was fouled by Sam Hauser.
Baylor Scheierman hit a nook triple with arms held excessive on the no-dip shot try; Jaylen Brown had the help, his third of the sport. Jevon Carter hit a pair of threes in simply 2 minutes of motion; he had half of the workforce’s triples. Chicago was 4-25 from distance.
Boston closed out the half sturdy with a Payton Pritchard buzzer-beater triple over three Bulls defenders. C’s up 54-33 on the half; Pritchard was the workforce’s excessive scorer with 10 factors in simply quarter-hour of motion. Brown appeared fatigued for a lot of the primary half, two days faraway from the 50-point throwdown on the Intuit Dome, Los Angeles.
Pritchard was on hearth to start out the third; the previous Sixth Man of the 12 months scored consecutive triples to start out the third. Chicago additionally got here out gunning to start out the third quarter; Vucevic hit a 14-foot floater, and Tre Jones reeled off six factors for the guests as they lower Boston’s lead again to 16 factors.
Pritchard discovered Anfernee Simons, who hit his first three of the sport as PP obtained into the lane and sprayed it broad proper in entrance of Joe Mazzulla. Luka Garza obtained his second block of the sport; the ball rebounded free to Okoro, who hit the nook three. Pritchard was flying across the courtroom within the third; he had 11 factors in 7 minutes of motion.
Jordan Walsh answered a Coby White three together with his first three-pointer of the night time. Boston was rolling with a Walsh, Pritchard, Garza, Simons, and Scheierman lineup late within the third quarter. Ayo Dosunmu hit his eighth level of the sport with a three-pointer, Chicago rebounding effectively from a dismal first-half taking pictures show.
Anfernee Simons burst into motion late within the third quarter, he nailed two straight three-pointers and had a pair of free throws, the reserve logging his twelfth level of the quarter. Boston held onto an 18 level lead, the Celtics in management 85-67 after three.
Simons ripped the nylon nets on the fourth quarter’s first rating, his fourth three of the sport. Vucevic had 5 straight factors for the Bulls because the street workforce lower it again to fifteen factors.
Anfernee Simons then hit back-to-back triples, he had 21 factors within the second half and counting. Matas Buzelis skied for a loud one handed dunk as he lower by the important thing. Simons missed a 3 out of a double workforce, Luka Garza picked up the offensive board and obtained the put again observe, Boston up 19 factors on the eight minute mark.
Simons was feeling it, hitting one other three over Vucevic with a step again, the Boston crowd in awe, his seventh of the sport. Vucevic hit a troublesome inside shot then sprayed a go out to Buzelis who calmly sank his twenty sixth level of the sport, Boston’s lead was simply 11 factors with 4 minutes to go.
Queta dunked in the important thing, recording a double double on the night time, Vucevic answering with a 3. Derrick White hit a three-pointer after which blocked Coby White, Boston up 109-98. Chicago ‘s comeback got here up quick as Simons was cooking with 27 factors, all within the second half.
Boston have three extra residence video games this week. The Celtics subsequent face the Denver Nuggets at TD Backyard at 7 pm EST, Wednesday seventh of January.
