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 Center Joakim Noah barely missed a triple-double, finishing with
17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while leading the Bulls to
a 94-82 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday at the United
Center.
It was the second consecutive game in which Noah led the team in
assists. He is averaging 3.6 assists on the season.
"We have always run a lot of offense through (Noah), and that's what
makes us a little different," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He's going
to make you fight for body position, and that opens up the basket
area and gets us into a cutting game. He's very unselfish."
The Bulls tried to get Noah one more assist, but teammate Jimmy
Butler missed a corner jumper off a pass from Noah with eight
seconds left, as the fans groaned.
Forward Carlos Boozer added 16 points for the Bulls, and forward
Luol Deng scored 14.
Chicago (13-18) won for the seventh time in its past eight home
games against the Celtics (13-19).
"I enjoy setting guys up, but it really depends on guys making their
shots," Noah said. "Everyone was telling me I was getting close (to
the triple-double) and needed an assist. Yes, I was trying to get
it. Jimmy tried to get it for me, but it's really not the way you
are supposed to do it."
Guard Jordan Crawford led the Celtics with 22 points. Center Jared
Sullinger added 11 points and 11 assists for Boston, which lost for
the fifth time in six games.
"I am very encouraged, and the reason why is we played very
physical," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "The Bulls are very
physical, and they are very impressive. I think this is the best
we've played in the last seven games."
The Bulls lost All-Star guard Derrick Rose to a knee injury on Nov.
22 and didn't have the rest of their lineup healthy until Tuesday
against the Toronto Raptors. Chicago scored 79 points that night,
but they moved the ball much better against Boston, finishing with
26 assists. The Bulls have four wins in their past six games.
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The game went back and forth for most of the first three
quarters. Boston closed within 66-62 with 1:12 left in the third
quarter on forward Kris Humphries' jumper.
Chicago finished the quarter with a fast-break dunk by Butler
off a steal by forward Mike Dunleavy. Then Dunleavy followed in
a Boozer miss with 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Bulls their
biggest lead at 70-62.
To start the fourth quarter, Noah finished a lay-in, then found
Dunleavy on a cut for another lay-in and the lead was up to 12.
When Dunleavy pulled up and drained a 3-pointer on the next
possession, the Bulls' lead reached 77-62.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Chicago forward Taj Gibson
fell on his right hip when fouled hard by Sullinger. After a few
minutes on the ground, Gibson shook it off and kept playing,
while Sullinger was given a grade-one flagrant foul.
"I'm lucky," Gibson said. "The basketball gods are on my side
because it could have been worse. I fell on my wrist and my
elbow."
The Bulls were hit with three technical fouls for complaining
about calls. Coach Tom Thibodeau and Boozer were whistled in the
first half, Dunleavy in the third quarter.
NOTES: Boston sent G MarShon Brooks on a D-League assignment to
Maine, where he was in the starting lineup for Thursday night's
game against Tulsa. Brooks played in just nine of the Celtics'
31 games this season. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said the move
was done mostly to get Brooks extended playing time. ... The
game at the United Center marked a reunion between Boston
assistant Ron Adams and the Bulls. Adams was a Chicago assistant
for the previous four years and is one of Tom Thibodeau's best
friends in coaching. The Bulls chose not to renew Adams'
contract after last season. ... Stevens downplayed an argument
between Celtics F Brandon Bass and F Jeff Green on the bench
during Tuesday night's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. "Anybody who
has been on a team knows that those things happen," Stevens
said. ... Celtics G Rajon Rondo plans to follow the team on an
upcoming West Coast trip and said he is close to returning from
ACL surgery on his right knee. Rondo last played on Jan. 25,
2013.
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