BSJ Game Report: Boston Celtics 114, Chicago Bulls 112 - Celtics (gasp!) execute down the stretch to steal a win

Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics win over the Chicago Bulls with BSJ insight and analysis. 

IN A NUTSHELL

This started out following a similar script. The Celtics looked good early, they stumbled in the second quarter, they were OK in the third, and then they started to fall apart in the fourth. But then, in absolute shocking fashion, the Celtics went full Randy Orton and hit Chicago with an RKO out of nowhere. They closed on a 10-2 run and scored the last 8 points of the game to steal the win.

HEADLINES

HUGE win: I’m not trying to oversell a January win over a depleted Bulls team. I am, however, going to give credit to a team that always craters in these situations for not cratering. It’s like watching a kid ride a bike and fall over every time. The first time he gets to the end of the block  is a major accomplishment. He’s not entering a BMX race or anything, but give him the credit for taking this step. 

Clutch Robert Williams: He finished the last two minutes of the game with 6 points and an assist, including four straight free throws to close the game. 

“It’s a moment everybody in this league wants and waits for,” Williams said after the game. “I’m just glad I made ‘em, glad my teammates had my back and boosted my confidence. It’s part of my job. If I’ve gotta make free throws down the line like that, then that’s just what it is.”

Jayson Tatum’s defense: Tatum had a big defensive night and got a huge defensive stop on DeMar DeRozan in a tie game. He also had two big blocked shots. 

TURNING POINT

DeRozan got Robert Williams on a switch and got past him for a clean look at a floater with 2:38, which missed. The Celtics converted that into an alley oop to Williams, so instead of Chicago being up 8 with two-and-a-half minutes to go, they were up 4. Chicago would only score once more the rest of the way. 

FOUR UP

Robert Williams: There is going to be a cumulative effect of all the alley oops he keeps catching, and it’s going to mean a lot more space for Tatum and Brown on drives. Teams continue to make the choice to cover the driver and they aren’t doing enough to keep Rob off the rim. The more teams have to worry about him, the better it will be for Boston. 

Jayson Tatum: He was huge offensively in the first quarter, but then the efficiency sank again. But the real reason he’s working his way into the up is his defense down the stretch. He had some huge plays, and it’s what you want to see out of a star player whose shot isn’t falling. He didn’t sulk, and he made up for it on the defensive end.

Al Horford: Horford was incredibly important for the Celtics in this one. He was the key to them calming down after some janky offense, hitting the types of shots that kept the Bulls from putting together those killer runs. 

Josh Richardson: Quietly solid off the bench with 13 points, including 3-5 shooting from deep. 

TWO DOWN

Grant Williams: He only took two shots, both 3-pointers, and he hit one. But the bigger issue over the past two games have been some bad defensive mistakes that have cost Boston points.

Enes K. Freedom: He couldn't stop Nikola Vucevic, which would be the primary reason for putting him out there. Then he pulls the classic Enes move of being in the way and bringing defenders to the ball, thus causing a miss, but being in position to clean up the miss. 

ONE UP AND DOWN

Dennis Schröder: Another perplexing night. He started off great. He was a huge reason the Celtics had a 10 point lead in the first quarter. But then he seemed to be in the middle of a lot of defensive mistakes in the middle quarters that prevented the Celtics from pulling away. But then he attacked again late and he assisted on that lob to Robert Williams that started the comeback. Again, he has a great box score: 16 points, 6-9 shooting, 1-1 3pt, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and just 1 turnover. I’m not denying that the numbers look great. There were times, though, that I couldn't understand why he was even on the floor.

TOP PLAYS

.@jaytatum0 is just carving up the defense #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/4AALsy10fc

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 16, 2022

Also, sign me up for all the Deuce Tatum content. This is just adorable.

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

Let’s just take some time to savor the moment. 

It’s Sunday. Maybe you’re still pissed about the Patriots. Maybe hungover (or, hey, not even last call yet as I write this …still drunk?). Let’s just put the pitchforks and torches away and savor a very unlikely win. 

There were a ton of defensive mistakes that they need to fix. Frankly, they missed Marcus Smart and his defensive organizational skills in this game. This was the perfect game to blend the best of Smart and Schröder and maybe make for a little bit of an easier win. But I digress. 

No one is going to pretend anything is fixed here. And I know I tend to say this after wins recently, but it applies to this one. 

The Celtics executed in the clutch, and that's big. 

They closed the game on an 8-0 run. They went to Tatum and Jaylen Brown down the stretch and those guys made plays for others. Brown ran a pick-and-roll for Rob and they got two free throws out of it that he knocked down. The star of the team played lockdown defense on the other team’s best player. 

Yes, the bar is low. I'm not denying that, but t he Celtics needed this. And hey, after that other game on tonight, you probably do too. 

Enjoy it.