Finally, the Celtics stop at nine straight wins! In a United Center of great evenings, the Bulls achieve the feat of the evening by winning 121-107 against Boston.
We are talking about a feat because Chicago remained on four straight defeats, while the Celtics seemed untouchable. A success that does not suffer from any dispute since the Bulls led by 13 points at the break, and they will even increase the gap to 21 points in the 3rd quarter.
Thanks to an 11-2, and thanks to a good Jaylen Brown, the Celtics will manage to make the Bulls doubt in the 4th quarter, but DeMar DeRozan will make the difference.
Like on this 3-pointer with four arms in front of him, then on this golden service for Alex Caruso to bring the gap to +15. It is this same Caruso with two interceptions that will give the signal for “garbage time”.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Bulls collective. It had been a long time since the Bulls had shared the ball so much. One figure does not lie: 26 assists. Although there were isolation sequences, DeMar DeRozan’s teammates kept the ball alive, and above all they alternated between inside and outside play. Nikola Vucevic was served in good conditions, and it’s not that often.
– A fatal 15-2. As often in the NBA, we witnessed a playoff game with an 11-0 Bulls in the 3rd quarter, an 11-2 Celtics in the 4th… But we will remember the 15-2 Bulls at the end of the first half. With a found Coby White, Chicago made the difference at that time, and we had rarely seen the Bulls so active in defense.
– The Bulls like the Celtics. The Celtics have lost only four games this season, including two against the Bulls! The aggressiveness of players like Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso, the presence of one-on-one specialists like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, and the possibility of playing in the paint with Nikola Vucevic seem to hamper the 2022 finalists.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ DeMar DeRozan. He is still and always the leader of the team. A leader by example on both sides of the field, and a leader by his ability to take charge when the boat is rocking. He finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
✅ Patrick Williams. It’s his best game of the season, and he put up a good fight against Jayson Tatum. A reference match for him, and we will remember this nice shot in the 4th quarter after a dribble in the back, at the siren of 24 seconds.
✅ Malcolm Brogdon. The most consistent and influential of the Celtics. It was when he was in the field that the machine worked better.
⛔ Marcus Smart. Once is not custom, we have not seen a great Smart, overtaken by the pace of the rear of the Bulls. Before the match, we learned that he suffered from a chronic foot injury, and he did not have his usual energy.
THE FOLLOWING
Chicago (7-10) : new big piece with a trip to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Boston (13-4): reception Wednesday of the Mavericks of Luka Doncic.
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