Monday night’s Celtics vs. Bulls matchup saw the Boston Celtics secure a 134-99 win over the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics, driven by a 30-9 third-quarter run, went up by 30 at the end of the third to put the game away. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 28 points off the bench, while tallying four assists and two steals on 10-for-16 shooting and 7-for-10 from three. Jayson Tatum also scored 23 points, with seven rebounds and six assists. Paul George also managed 16 points with five rebounds, but turned the ball over four times.
The Bulls were led by 20 points from Norman Powell, who also tallied four steals defensively. Rookie Caleb Wilson scored 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting with a pair of blocks. Boston shot 46-for-93 from the field, good for 49% from the field. Chicago, meanwhile, went 33-for-84, only a 39% clip.
The Bulls also noticeably struggled in the first and third quarters, shooting 29% in the first and 33% in the third. The Celtics went 21-for-44 from three, with Chicago making only 12 of their 44 attempts from deep. Both teams turned the ball over a lot, with each team notching 25 turnovers. The Bulls, however, allowed 39 points off those turnovers, with Boston conceding 17.
Celtics Vs. Bulls: Takeaway #1: The Bench Showing Out
Pritchard hit five three-pointers off the bench, his 41st time in his career. Not only was he dynamic, but Sam Hauser and Hugo Gonzalez both notched double-digit points off the bench. Hauser went 4-for-7 from the field, with 3-for-4 from the three-point line. Gonzalez, meanwhile, shot 4-for-6 from the field. Paul George and Jayson Tatum shot 35% and 41% from the field. Despite their relative inefficiency, the bench shot 54% combined from the field.
The performances of Pritchard, Hauser, and Gonzalez helped lead to the rest of the bench getting some significant playing time. Every player got at least five minutes in the game. As a result, everyone on the Celtics roster scored a bucket. Even Mike Conley and Chris Cenac Jr., both making their season debuts (and NBA debut in the case of Cenac), got on the scoreboard.
Celtics Vs. Bulls: Takeaway #2: Celtics Third Quarter Surge
Boston entered the third quarter up 66-54. The Celtics used a 30-9 run to take a 105-75 lead at the end of the quarter, and never looked back. Much of the dominance can be attributed to Pritchard, who scored 14 of the 30 points during the run, as well as 19 of his 28 points in the third quarter. Boston only shot 52% in the third. They, however, shot 8-for-13 from three, which helped put the Bulls away.
Celtics Vs. Bulls: Takeaway #3: Celtics Rebounding Edge
The Celtics finished with the third-highest rebounding percentage in the league last season at 52.9%. Following losing the rebounding battle in their first pair of games, Boston won the boards against Chicago 54-40. This game, however, wasn’t total domination by one or two big men. Guys at every position contributed. Mitchell Robinson and Tatum led the Celtics with seven rebounds each. Guards Hugo Gonzalez, Derrick White, and Baylor Scheierman all notched five-plus rebounds each. Those 54 boards include 19 offensive rebounds, which translated into 16 second-chance points.
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End Of My Celtics Vs. Bulls Rant: Looking Ahead
Boston, through the power of their “Stay Ready” unit and their rebounding dominance, got the win to bring them to 2-1 on the season, while the Bulls slipped to 1-3. The Celtics don’t have much time to bask in the win, as the Brooklyn Nets pay a visit to the Garden on Tuesday. Chicago will have a day off before heading back to the Windy City to face the defending NBA Champion New York Knicks on Wednesday.
