LDN - Sports

Celtics hand Bulls fifth straight loss

[March 13, 2017] BOSTON -- A quick look at the box score just might tell you all you needed to know about Sunday's game at TD Garden.

Dwyane Wade was a minus-37, which ties for third worst in the NBA this season.

In other words, it was never a game.

The Boston Celtics, returning from a five-game western trip, scored the first 13 points, the Chicago Bulls missed their first 12 shots and Boston cruised to a 100-80 victory that handed the Bulls their season-worst fifth straight loss.

"That's an easy game to kind of make an excuse about and not play the best you can," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after his team led by as much as 29 points against a team offering only token resistance. "I thought our guys came out doing the right thing."

Added Isaiah Thomas: "We played hard, we got loose balls, we defended multiple actions."

And they made life very tough for Wade and Jimmy Butler, who came in averaging a combined 42.6 points per game. They shot 6 of 22 from the floor and totaled just 13 points.

"I'm not saying we are going to defend at that level each and every game but we at least need to get close to it," Thomas said. "Our defense took care of the offense today and it showed for most of the game."

The Bulls had scored 100 points in their last 10 games against the Celtics -- the longest streak against the Celtics since the 2002-07 Suns also had 10.

Thomas scored 22 points, Avery Bradley 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, Al Horford (plus-25) posted 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Marcus Smart had 12 points, Jaylen Brown 11, Kelly Olynyk 11 points and nine boards and Jae Crowder 10 rebounds in the win.

The Bulls, sellers at the trade deadline, scored 26 points in the first half -- the fewest first-half points scored by an NBA team this season -- and didn't make any noise until late in a 31-point third quarter as they continued their fade in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. They finished the game in 10th place.

"We're still experimenting," said Wade, who had eight points. "As I said the other day, we're going to take some lumps. Some of them are going to be big lumps. Some of them going to be small lumps. Tonight was a big one."

Asked if the players are engaged in trying to reach the playoffs, Wade said, "You have to ask each individual that question. I can't answer for everybody. I'm here, I'll show up the next game. Try to do what I can."

Said Butler: "Nobody likes to lose, so yeah I definitely think it's bothering a lot of people. Hell, we're in this damn thing together. We've got to figure it out. Ain't nobody going to come in here and show us a blueprint on how to win. We've got to go out there and make it happen."

The win was important for the Celtics, who left the court percentage points behind the Washington Wizards for second place in the Eastern Conference.

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Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) shoots against Chicago Bulls guard Cameron Payne (22) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

"With 15, 16 games left we got to play our best basketball because Washington is playing really well right now, Cleveland is not going to play like they have been for the most part so we just got to control our own destiny," said Thomas.

Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine led the Bulls with 13 points apiece and Bobby Portis had 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Bulls cut a 29-point third-quarter deficit down to 17 but the Celtics then hit four straight 3-pointers, two by Smart, in a 14-2 spurt that opened it back up to 29.

The Celtics, who took only four free throws, went 16 of 37 from 3-point range, their 25th straight game with at least 10 treys as they close in on the record (27) set by the Houston Rockets earlier this season. They hit six treys in the fourth quarter.

The teams split the four-game season series, both winning twice at home.

The Bulls scored their first points when Wade hit a jumper with 6:08 left in the first quarter -- their only basket in their first 19 attempts.

NOTES: The five points the Bulls scored in the final 1:12 of the first quarter capped a nine-point quarter and kept the club record of six (set twice) safe. ... The Celtics are 17-0 when leading after three quarters at home. ... Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before the game that G Avery Bradley no longer has a minutes limit in his return from an Achilles injury. ... ESPN Boston reported former Celtics great Paul Pierce left autographed jerseys for every Celtic when the teams played out in Los Angeles last week. ... Boston G Isaiah Thomas extended his team season record with a 3-pointer in 44 straight games and also joined Pierce and Antoine Walker as the only Celtics with 200 treys in a season. Thomas and F Jae Crowder, on the bench in the fourth quarter, joined the crowd in the wave. ... The Bulls are at Charlotte Monday night while the Celtics host the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night

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