Everything you need to know about the Celtics beating the Bulls 111-82 in BSJ Quickie Form
Box Score
HEADLINES
A much-needed blowout: After going through their toughest road trip of the season, the Celtics needed a bit of a confidence boost back at the TD Garden and there was no better team than an undermanned 4-10 Bulls squad to help on that front. Jaylen Brown (18 points) led a balanced Celtics offense that featured six different players in double figures as the hosts led by as many as 33 points on their way to a 111-82 victory. After falling behind early, Boston outscored Chicago 32-11 in the second quarter, which helped to quickly erase an early nine-point deficit and build a double-digit lead that was not relinquished for the rest of the evening. Kyrie Irving had one of his best all-around games of the year (17 points, six rebounds, seven assists) while the Aron Baynes had nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
No starting changes but a few rotation tweaks
Marcus Morris
Semi Ojeleye
TURNING POINT
A mix of the C’s second unit (Smart/Baynes/Ojeleye/Rozier) along with Gordon Hayward and Brown helped break the game open midway through the second quarter with a 13-2 run over a five-minute stretch. The Bulls shot just 1-of-7 from the field during the outburst, digging a double-digit hole for themselves that they were unable to climb out of the remainder of the night.
TWO UP
Kyrie Irving:
The All-Star did a little bit of everything in this one, taking it on himself to attack a shorthanded Bulls team in the backcourt. He helped keep the offense afloat in the first quarter with nine of his first 17 points in the frame and was extremely active in other facets of the game as well, delivering six rebounds and team-high seven assists in the win. He has now shot above 50 percent from the field in five of his last seven games.
Jaylen Brown:
The shooting guard shook off a rocky start and became the main source of offense for Boston in the first half as they stretched out a double-digit lead. He had a game-high 12 of his 18 points before the break on 5-of-10 shooting, including a pair of rhythm 3s from downtown, with the majority of his shot attempts coming from beyond the arc and at the rim.
TWO DOWN
Gordon Hayward in the first half:
The swingman remains entrenched in a lengthy battle when it comes to his offensive feel and that struggle against the Bulls. Hayward scored just one point in 14 first-half minutes, going 0-of-4 from the field, including a couple ugly misses at the rim. He bounced back with 10 points after the break, though, including an impressive layup after a hard foul in traffic.
The Bulls in the second quarter:
Chicago is one of the few offenses in the league that has been worse than Boston during the first few weeks of the year and it showed on Wednesday night. Without four rotation players out due to injury, the visitors stumbled to an 11-point quarter in the second frame, which included 23 percent shooting from the field and seven turnovers. The C’s used some defensive-minded pieces in this period but a lot of the damage for Chicago was self-inflicted.
TOP PLAY
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The longer stints for subs were noticeable and hopefully stick around for C’s:
With Gordon Hayward’s minutes limit loosened up over the weekend, Brad Stevens did far less mixing and matching with his rotation. He stuck with his top subs for longer stints, even going with Ojeleye for 21 minutes (his longest stint of the year) in place of a sick Marcus Morris. The extended run seemed to provide better rhythm, specifically on the defensive end, where the C’s dominated for the better part of four quarters. This is a trend to watch going forward as Stevens balances keeping everyone happy with adequate minutes and ensuring he rolls with the groups that have it going for specific matchups.
Protecting Al Horford plan appears to be starting:
A huge blowout obviously aided his season-low 20 minutes, but the All-Star center has not looked like himself this season and the C’s seem inclined to take a bit of the pressure off of the 32-year-old in the early stages of a 82-game grind. Baynes and Theis have been terrific all year defensively at the center spot and that’s the area of the floor that’s helping the C’s win games right now. Horford was productive in his smaller timeshare (10 points, 8 rebounds) and with so much other capable talents on the bench in the middle, preserving Horford is a savvy play whenever possible.
