After dismantling the Los Angeles Clippers and getting three days off, the Boston Celtics journey to the Windy Metropolis for a matchup in opposition to the Chicago Bulls of their remaining recreation of the NBA Cup qualifying video games. For the primary time all season the Celtics have a clear invoice of well being on the harm report which is a superb signal going into this essential NBA Cup recreation.
With the Hawks beating the Cavs earlier within the day, the Celtics must win this recreation for an opportunity on the wild card spot within the NBA Cup playoffs. There are a ton of various eventualities that must happen within the Japanese Convention on Tuesday to assist Boston, however none of that issues in the event that they don’t deal with enterprise in opposition to the Bulls.
On the Bulls very purple court docket, the Celtics began the scoring with a Kristaps Porzingis on the wing. Each groups began this recreation taking part in at a blistering tempo however Boston’s three ball was the good equalizer as they made 5 threes within the first 5 minutes, 3 of which from Jaylen Brown. The three level barrage continued to be the Celtics weapon of selection as they shot 9-16 from past the arc within the first quarter.
With the Celtics at full power, Mazzulla determined to start out the sport with Horford, Hauser, and Pritchard being the one gamers off the bench. The Bulls took benefit of some Celtics turnovers however Boston nonetheless had a 39-30 lead after one quarter of play. Jayson Tatum had one other dominant first quarter as he stuffed the stat sheet with 12 factors, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal on 5-9 capturing from the sphere and 2-4 from three.
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Torrey Craig hit again to again threes to start out the second quarter as Chicago went on a 10-3 run to start out the second quarter and the Celtics result in 2. A Celtics timeout didn’t appear to cease the Bulls run. With Porzingis on the bench, the Bulls began to assault the paint and the Celtics rim safety turned non existent with Al Horford being the one middle on the ground.
The Celtics offense ran stagnate as they missed 10 straight pictures at one level and the Bulls took benefit. Talen Horton-Tucker scored 7 straight factors for the Bulls mid means by way of the quarter not backing right down to the Celtics what so ever. Chicago had 11 gamers contact the court docket within the first half and all 11 scored a minimum of as soon as.
To counter the Bulls assault the Celtics inserted the starters again into the sport and that calmed the waters. The Celtics put up up recreation with Tatum and Porzingis and driving to the paint gave Chicago’s protection matches. Boston went on a 14-0 run retake the lead however Nikola Vucevic hit 4 straight threes to match each Celtics basket. Tatum hit a 3 on the buzzer as they went into halftime all tied up at 67-67.
Jayson Tatum (19), Derrick White (16), Kristaps Porzingis (14), and Jaylen Brown (13) mixed to attain 62 of the Celtics 67 factors within the first half. The Celtics three level capturing took a nosedive within the second quarter nonetheless as they went 3-11 from the past the arc.
Photograph by Jeff Haynes/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures
Nikola Vucevic continued to placed on an absolute clinic. He made 2 floaters, a 3 and acquired to the free throw line, as he scored 20 of the Bulls 23 factors to finish the primary half and begin the second half. The Bulls opened up an 8 level lead on the Celtics as Boston’s offense continued to battle.
After a Celtics timeout on the 8 minute mark, Jayson Tatum began to make his mark on the sport. Tatum grabbed a rebound that resulted in a quick break Pritchard three, blocked Ayo Dosumu on the subsequent possession and got here again right down to hit a floater over Dosumu that resulted in an and-1. Tatum scored 8 straight factors to maintain Boston within the recreation as Chicago’s protection couldn’t cease him from getting something he needed.
Each groups continued to placed on an offensive clinic as nearly each time down the ground for the final 5 minuets of the third quarter resulted in a basket and the quarter ended tied 96-96. Jayson Tatum continued his sizzling quarter, scoring 13 factors in third alone and reaching 32 factors going into the fourth quarter. The Celtics had been with out Derrick White within the fourth quarter as he was dominated “Uncertain to Return” with a sore proper foot.
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Neemias Queta began the fourth quarter for the Celtics and made an impression grabbing an offensive rebound that led to a Brown layup. Jalen Phillips checked in for Chicago and hit a 3, the twelfth Bull to attain tonight. Payton Pritchard scored 8 straight factors for the Celtics and Talen Horton-Tucker hit 6 pictures in a row to match him. The actual spotlight to start out the quarter was when Jaylen Brown threw down a thunderous poster dunk on Jalen Smith to power a Bulls timeout.
Payton Pritchard went completely nuclear for Boston within the first 7 minutes of the quarter, scoring 19 factors with 5 threes, destroying the Bulls protection in White’s absence. Even with Pritchard’s scoring, Chicago had answered with a 7-1 run, highlighted by a Zach Lavine three to chop the Celtics result in 3 with three minutes to go.
Out of a Celtics timeout, Tatum drove his option to the rim for a slam and Jrue Vacation hit a 3 to increase the Celtics lead again to eight with two minutes left. Lavine hit a 3 to chop it to a 5 level recreation however Jrue Vacation turned a Jaylen Brown airball right into a put again layup with 20 seconds to go to ice the sport. Sam Hauser put the cherry on high of this recreation with a 3 on the buzzer to present the Celtics a 138-129 win and saved their hopes of constructing the NBA Cup playoffs alive.
Photograph by Jeff Haynes/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures
Jayson Tatum was the main scorer for the Celtics on this recreation as he dominated the Bulls for 35 factors, 14 rebounds, 5 assists on 12-18 capturing from the sphere and 4-8 from three. Payton Pritchard’s big fourth quarter allowed him to complete with a season excessive 29 factors, capturing 10-16 from the sphere and an absurd 7-11 from past the arc. This win additionally places the Celtics a half a recreation out of 1st place within the Japanese Convention after the Cavs misplaced again to again video games.
The battle for the #1 seed might be put to the take a look at within the Celtics subsequent recreation on Sunday December 1st in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6pm.
