Final: Celtics 113, Bulls 101 - C's roll to easy win with balanced offense

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.

• The Celtics will be without starting center Daniel Theis due to knee tendonitis. He remains day-to-day. Vincent Poirier will be active for the first time in a month however after recovering from broken left pinkie. Look for Enes Kanter to get the start in the middle with Poirier potentially seeing some playing time.


• Stevens on what Poirier can bring to the table in his return: "My biggest thing is he just hasn’t had an opportunity yet and he’s a guy that can run to the rim, he’s a guy that put pace into the game, he plays with his arms out defensively, he’s long, he stops the ball at the rim. It’s just a matter of getting used to it and we have other good players. So I’m certainly not hesitant to play him for long stretches. Tonight he won’t be cleared for that. It’ll be spot minutes at best because he just hasn’t done anything. Usually you want to practice or a couple practices in. He did yesterday’s group workouts, so that was enough to be available for five to 10 minutes if needed.”


• Brad Stevens on the challenge on facing a team twice in two weeks as the C's will tonight with Chicago: “We were up 16 with nine to go in that game and then with seven to go it was three. Best team at turning people over in the league and it turns into points for them. Best team at guarding ballhandlers off the pick and roll because they blitz and they play with two on the ball a lot so you have to be able to make passes. This is not an iso game. The ball’s gotta pop. You gotta make the right reads, you gotta cut to get good shots. That’s the reason they’re a really good defense and then the offense followed suit. I think they played Kornet with Carter out the other day and Kornet opens up the floor for that second unit with the 3-point shooting. And they've got a number of other good players. Obviously LaVine and Markkanen, they’re the guys who have scored it the most.”


• The Bulls had lost six straight games before beating the Pistons on Saturday night. They will play without starting center Wendell Carter Jr. who is out for the next six weeks with an ankle injury.