BOSTON -- After two straight games against two of the best teams in the East last year, the Boston Celtics welcomed the Chicago Bulls to TD Garden. The Bulls, who were... not one of the best teams in the East.
Chicago has been struggling to start the year, and that struggle did not end at TD Garden. Led by a Payton Pritchard third-quarter takeover, the Celtics completely dominated the Bulls.
The bench unit played most of the fourth quarter because, by then, the game was over. Boston walked away with a 134-99 victory.
Up: Jayson Tatum
It didn't feel like an amazing Jayson Tatum game. Maybe it wasn't. But if you check the box score, he was unbelievable. So, maybe he was just unbelievable.
The jumpers weren't falling. At least, not at first. He slowly made more shots as the game went on, but Tatum's dominance was defined by his driving.
When Tatum wanted to get to the hoop, he got to the hoop. He drove through contact, got himself to the free-throw line, and finished strong at the cup. It's exactly what the Celtics need him to do.
That's without even mentioning Tatum's playmaking. He and Mitchell Robinson seem to be developing a nice pick-and-roll chemistry. It was on display on Monday night.
There were some rough moments. Subpar rebounding. Slip-ups on the defensive end. Bad fouls. But by and large, Tatum was great. He was the best player on the court.
He ended the game with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while shooting 7-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line.
Down: Derrick White
Efficiency wasn't the problem. Derrick White made his shots. But it's been a pretty sloppy start to the year for him.
White had four turnovers against the Detroit Pistons on Opening Day. Only one against the New York Knicks. But he had six of them against the Bulls, including five in the first half alone.
He just seems a bit off. Like the timing isn't quite there. Obviously, it's early in the year. White and the other Boston ball-handlers need to develop chemistry with the whole roster. But it's just been a bit too sloppy. He ended the night with five points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
You can lump in "turnovers in general" here, too. It wasn't just White. He just had the most turnovers in the game. Paul George was a close second.
Up: Payton Pritchard
Just a few nights ago, Pritchard couldn't get anything going. He got stuffed by the Knicks. There was no offensive rhythm. He needed a bounce-back against Chicago, and he got one.
Chicago couldn't hang with Pritchard. Whether it was his off-ball movement or on-ball trickery, Pritchard found a way to get his shot up. A scoring Master Class.
Pritchard had been getting bothered by ball pressure early in the season. Even against the Pistons, he didn't look completely comfortable. This was a perfect chance for a tune-up game.
Heading into the season, Pritchard was widely viewed as Boston's second-best scoring option. Before Monday night, he didn't look like it. But his performance against the Bulls brought that thought back to life.
By the third quarter, Pritchard had taken over the entire game. Shot after shot, he got TD Garden going. He couldn't miss. He had 19 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 5-of-5 from deep.
Pritchard ended the night with 28 points, one rebound, four assists, and two steals while shooting 10-of-16 from the floor and 7-of-10 from distance.
Down: