Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 113-101 win over the Bulls with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics roll to a comfortable win against brutal Bulls team: The Celtics didn’t do anything particularly special in this one, building an 18-point lead in the first half and not looking back in their second straight victory. Six players scored in double figures in the win led by Jayson Tatum (21 points on 7/17 FG). Jaylen Brown added 19 points while Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart both were initiators for the offense with a game-high eight assists for each. Zach LaVine had a game-high 30 points in the setback for the Bulls who have now dropped eight of their last nine games overall. The Celtics moved into sole possession of second place in the East with the victory.
Kanter starts for an injured Daniel Theis at center: A taste of an offensive-first starting five got a chance on Monday night as Daniel Theis (sore knee) got the night off to rest. In his place, Enes Kanter (15 points, 9 rebounds) helped the C's offense roll to a 55-37 lead in the first half with almost all of his production coming in that stretch. Boston's defense fell flat in the second half in large part to Kanter's inability to get back promptly in transition but the offensive upside of the C's with Kanter in the middle along with the starters was daunting when everyone was on their game.
TURNING POINT
After the starters blew a healthy chunk of their 18-point lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter, the bench unit along with Brown and Hayward seized control again toward the end of the frame, putting together an 11-2 run to push the lead back into double digits. The Bulls failed to threaten again for the entire fourth quarter.
TWO UP
Jaylen Brown at the FT line: The swingman tied his career-high with nine consecutive makes at the charity stripe. He’s shooting a career-high 79 percent from the free-throw line, more than 10 points above his career average.
Enes Kanter in the first half: The big man shined early while starting in place of Daniel Theis, leading the team with points (15) and rebounds (7) in the first half as he feasted on a number of open looks around the basket following feeds from Marcus Smart and Gordon Hayward.
TWO DOWN
Bulls 3-point shooting: The Bulls misfired on their first 14 of 15 attempts on the night from 3-point range as the C’s allowed a season-low 24 percent shooting from downtown.
Gordon Hayward’s jumpshot in first three quarters: He wasn’t looking for his shot much with Kanter on the floor amongst the starters but he still missed his first six attempts of the game and went scoreless for the first 30-plus minutes of the night before finishing strong with eight points late.
INJURY REPORT
Grant Williams jammed his shoulder in the second quarter and headed straight to the locker room after being subbed out. He was available to play in the second half however and finish with a terrific performance off the bench (11 points, 5 rebounds).
TOP PLAY
Tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game: Tatum with the chasedown swat ❌ pic.twitter.com/rUwdgGijeX
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 14, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Marcus Smart is reverting back to the best version of himself: Perhaps the biggest downfall of injuries hitting the Celtics throughout the first half of the season has been players trying to do too much at times. Marcus Smart has been guilty on that front, especially since returning from his eye infection while hoisting double-digit field goal attempts in five of his first seven games back. Smart will have hot shooting nights here and there but the best route for the C’s offense to succeed is with him as a low volume and high efficiency player taking only open 3s and layup. Smart has reverted to this type of play over the last two nights, with assist totals in line with his shot totals. With so many mouths to feed in the C’s offense among the wings, Smart helping to spread the ball around rather than seeking out offense for himself is what will help turn this team from a good team to a great team, especially against inferior opponents.
Mixed results with Kanter as a starting center: The Celtics’ offense was unstoppable at times in the opening six minutes with this group. Kanter feasted on open looks at the basket while being surrounded in the pick-and-roll by three shooters spacing the floor. However, Kanter’s defensive limitations caused a quick benching in the second half as the C’s quickly lost their defensive versatility that has made the starters potent with Theis in the group. It’s probably a good idea to keep bringing Kanter off the bench once Theis returns.