Celtics hand Bulls fifth straight loss
Send a link to a friend
[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.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Mar/13/images/ads/current/lcu_lda_EDUCATION_2017.png)
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.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/031317pics/sports69.jpg)
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
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Mar/13/images/ads/current/christianvillage_lda_WELLNESS_2017.png)
"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 [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Mar/13/images/ads/current/wlb_lda_EDUCATION_2017.png)
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Mar/13/images/ads/current/ldn_medical_directory_small2.png) |