The leading scorers of the Chicago Bulls go quiet as the Boston Celtics secure victory with a score of 129-112.
The Chicago Bulls commenced the final stretch of the regular season on a disappointing note, succumbing to a 129-112 defeat against the Boston Celtics at the United Center on Thursday, which dropped their season record to 26-30.
Despite falling behind by 16 points early on, Chicago mounted an impressive second-quarter rally to take a 62-59 lead, fueled by Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu who contributed 20 and 12 points respectively in the first half.
However, the Celtics adjusted defensively in the third quarter, particularly in their approach to defending the pick-and-roll, which shifted momentum in their favor despite Chicago’s 70 percent shooting in the second quarter.
Boston also stepped up offensively, scoring 10 unanswered points at the start of the third quarter, with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White sinking three-pointers to establish a 69-62 lead. Jayson Tatum, the Celtics’ All-Star wing, found his rhythm during this stretch, tallying 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter to give Boston a commanding 96-83 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Bulls aimed to avenge their earlier humiliating loss to the Celtics this season, where they were defeated 127-94, marking a low point at 5-14 by the end of November. Despite their subsequent recovery, Chicago fell short in seeking redemption against the NBA’s top team due to the absence of Torrey Craig and Patrick Williams, along with Zach LaVine’s season-ending injury, leaving them short on talent against Boston.
Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Coby White and DeMar DeRozan contributed 20 and 19 points respectively. However, White and DeRozan combined to make only 13 of their 34 field goal attempts, contributing to Chicago’s inability to keep pace with Boston’s performance.
