The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls off a masterful performance from Jayson Tatum. Tatum had a 43-point triple-double in the Celtics’ 123-98 win. After the Bulls upset the Celtics on their home floor on Thursday night, the Celtics got their revenge in the United Center. Boston played without Sam Hauser, while Chicago missed Josh Giddey and Torrey Craig. The Boston Celtics moved to 22-6 with the win. The Chicago Bulls fell to 13-16.
Boston Celtics Led Early
Zach LaVine was unstoppable against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night and made an early impact in this game. The Bulls began shooting 3-of-4 from three and took an early lead. Lavine, Patrick Williams, and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 5 points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Celtics found more success in the paint. After their worst shooting night of the season, Jaylen Brown made a mission of attacking the basket. He had 9 points in the opening quarter. Brown’s efforts and three-pointers from Payton Pritchard and Kristaps Porzingis helped tie the game. At the end of the first quarter, the score was knotted 28-28.
In the second quarter, the Boston Celtics began to build a lead on a 9-0 run, but a few Chicago threes kept the game neck and neck. The Boston defense had lapses of effort and the Bulls took advantage. There were also multiple sequences where a Celtics error on offense, like a bad pass or a missed layup, would lead to a Chicago three or transition bucket. The Bulls were hungry to beat the Celtics again, pouncing on every miscue. Chicago was not without mistakes, and a few turnovers let Boston extend their lead.
Dunks from Brown and Tatum on a 12-2 run put the Celtics up by double digits. At halftime, the Boston Celtics led 61-54. A big second quarter from Tatum put him at 16 points with 9 rebounds. Brown had 15 points and Porzingis had 12. The Celtics were struggling from three, shooting 6-of-22 for 27.3%. Boston also had 34 points in the paint. LaVine and Williams scored 11 points apiece for Chicago. Both teams had a sloppy first half, but the Boston Celtics had the lead.
Jayson Tatum Takes Over
Porzingis started the second half with a bang, getting a posterizing dunk coming down the lane. Tatum also hit a pair of three-pointers, but the Bulls responded with back-to-back threes. Chicago played very fast, so they were due to catch fire at any moment, preventing Boston from pulling away. Still, Tatum was everywhere. Scoring and assisting, he was the engine of the Celtics offense in the third. He also had a monstrous dunk, followed by a deep three. He was getting anything he wanted, extending the Boston lead. With another three to end the third quarter, Tatum gave the Boston Celtics a 93-77 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Tatum had 18 points in the third quarter alone. It was the type of game takeover that many fans have been waiting for and it was amazing to see. After a quiet first quarter, he made himself the focal point of the offense. He had his first triple-double of the season and a season-high in points. He finished with 43 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, shooting 16-of-24 and 9-of-15 from three. Tatum had been one rebound or assist away multiple times, so this triple-double was rewarding. It was the third triple-double of his career.
The Boston Celtics pushed their lead past 20 in the fourth quarter off an Al Horford three. The team was winning the rebounding battle and getting points in the paint. It became clear that the Celtics’ lead was too large to overcome as Tatum finished his triple-double performance. Boston’s lead grew as large as 29, and they subbed in their bench unit for the final minutes. The Boston Celtics won 123-98.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 22-6 with the win. Jayson Tatum’s 43-point triple-double is the obvious headline, but Porzingis and Brown also played well. Porzingis scored 22 points while Brown had 19. The Chicago Bulls dropped to 13-16 with the loss. Nikola Vucevic led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Zach Lavine, Patrick Williams, and Coby White each scored 14 points. After the Bulls upset the Celtics in Boston, the Celtics blew out the Bulls in Chicago. The Boston Celtics lead the season series 2-1.
