While Joe Mazzulla insisted that he was not a fan of the All-Star break as a result of he simply needs to maintain enjoying, his gamers welcomed it. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown participated in All-Star weekend, the remainder of the Celtics loved a while off to refresh themselves, figuring out 4 months of basketball nonetheless remained in the event that they attain their championship aim.
They didn’t appear frightened about shedding any momentum after their scorching begin to the season, capped by heading into the break with a 50-point win. And on Thursday, they picked up precisely the place they left off.
The Celtics, briefly, had been threatened by the Bulls, a possible first-round playoff opponent come April. But they in any other case dealt with enterprise as they usually have towards inferior opponents this season. They did so with one in all their favourite formulation – 3-point taking pictures and protection – which carried them to a principally stress-free 129-112 victory in Chicago.
Derrick White led the way in which with 28 factors, Tatum had 25 and Brown added 21 because the Celtics ripped the United Center nets by making 23 of their 47 3-pointers. They let go of the rope defensively within the second quarter, however responded the best approach and overcame a three-point halftime deficit to safe their seventh consecutive victory.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” White informed NBC Sports Boston. “It just doesn’t happen like that. But it’s a good win here in the first one and we just have to build off of it.”
The C’s surged with a scorching first quarter behind White as they constructed a 16-point lead however took their foot off the gasoline within the second quarter. Chicago’s double-big lineup of Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond gave the Celtics issues as their defensive execution waned and the Bulls continued to money in on nice seems.
The Bulls scored 39 factors within the second quarter because the Celtics’ power dipped, and Coby White’s late 3-pointer gave them a three-point halftime lead.
But the C’s responded with an enormous third quarter, a interval that has been their Achilles heel at instances this season. Mazzulla informed reporters that an adjustment defensively to their pick-and-roll protection allowed the Celtics to be extra bodily on the level of assault with the Bulls’ playmakers of White, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. And their exercise elevated.
The Celtics went on a 10-0 run out of halftime and held the Bulls scoreless for the primary 3:52 of the third interval. Chicago by no means actually recovered. After torching Boston for 20 factors within the first half, Vucevic scored simply two factors the remainder of the sport. The Bulls whittled their deficit to 4, however by no means nearer because the Celtics pulled away with their protection and shot-making. Tatum scored 15 factors within the third, together with a step-back 3-pointer that put the Celtics up 15 within the remaining minute of the interval.
The Celtics opened their result in 21 early within the fourth quarter and the Bulls by no means made one other push. The C’s completed with 10 steals and 11 blocks, with these 21 “stocks” marking their second-most of the season as they overwhelmed the Bulls defensively and by no means seemed again.
Other takeaways and notes:
– White didn’t miss a beat in his return from the break. White, who got here up wanting incomes an All-Star nod, seemed refreshed with a dominant first quarter that helped the Celtics construct their early benefit. On one sequence, White stole a cross from Coby White and took it the opposite approach by himself for a transition dunk. Then on the subsequent defensive possession, White recorded two blocks – one on the 6-foot-10 Vucevic earlier than swatting Julian Phillips, which led to a Brown three-point play.
Moments later, White’s 3-pointer gave Boston its largest lead at 16. He completed the primary quarter with 12 factors and three blocks.
– Some of the Celtics starters appeared to be taking turns scoring the ball as they additional demonstrated their sacrifice and acknowledgment of feeding the new hand. While White and Tatum took over the primary and third quarters, the second quarter was all Brown as he scored 14 of his 21 factors within the interval. He scored eight consecutive factors throughout one stretch – together with one play when he dominated Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu within the publish for a three-point play. That surge helped the C’s keep degree whereas that they had bother guarding the Bulls within the second.
– Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer every made their Celtics debuts in rubbish time on Thursday evening after being traded on the deadline two weeks in the past. Tillman checked in with 2:33 to go within the fourth, whereas Springer entered 19 seconds later. Tillman scored his first two factors on a layup earlier than recording a block, whereas Springer completed with an empty line. It appears that Mazzulla is slowly working them into the lineup as they get acclimated to the crew and earn the coach’s belief.
For now, Luke Kornet’s spot because the second massive off the bench seems safe as Tillman will get settled and competes for taking part in time. Kornet had one other robust effort with 10 factors, together with a pair of putback slams within the fourth quarter.
– Sam Hauser was inadvertently elbowed within the face by Kornet within the third quarter as they scrambled for a rebound, and left the sport and didn’t return. Mazzulla informed reporters postgame that he’s doing tremendous.
Source: www.bostonherald.com