Kendrick Perkins had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which started the fourth quarter with a garbage-time lineup of Brian Scalabrine, P.J. Brown, Eddie House, James Posey and Tony Allen. Newly signed backup point guard Sam Cassell did not dress for the game, or he would surely have been on the court, too.
Boston, which won its 10th consecutive home game, led by 12 after one and 20 after two. It was 88-68 late in the third when the subs opened a 26-point advantage.
But Chicago took advantage of sloppy passing to score seven straight points, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers put point guard Rajon Rondo back in. Brown, who was making his 2007-08 debut, got a breather after he grabbed six rebounds in 6 minutes.
Even against the second and third string, though, Chicago never threatened.
Ben Gordon scored 20, and Joakim Noah had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Bulls, who missed a chance to move into a tie with New Jersey for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Starting forward Drew Gooden had three points in 15 minutes before he was ejected late in the first half for drawing two technicals complaining about a foul.
Brown, who was signed off the street last week, checked in with 1:24 left in the third quarter for his Celtics debut, wearing No. 93. He received a standing ovation, and another big cheer from the crowd when he converted a three-point play with 9:23 left.
Interim Chicago coach Jim Boylan was called for a technical early in the third quarter, after the Bulls fell behind 74-49. And Larry Hughes was called for a T with 1:13 left in the third quarter.
