Chicago, Illinois – Bulls, welcome back after the All-Star Break. Boston is at the United Center, ready for you.
Thursday night at the UC, the Celtics easily defeated the Chicago Bulls, winning 129–112.
These are six things I learned from the loss.
The blues following the all-star break were severe.
Early on, it wasn’t very good.
The Bulls found it difficult to establish a rhythm and fell down by as much as 28 points in the first half.
The Bulls committed three mistakes in the opening five minutes of the game while the Celtics made three 3-pointers, and the Celtics blocked six shots in the first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls had pulled even at 31 points, but the Celtics were in complete control and continued to exert greater pressure in the third and fourth quarters.
The Bulls’ mettle was demonstrated in the second quarter.
To put it mildly, the Bulls’ 39-point second quarter was entertaining.
The Bulls were able to respond to whatever the Celtics threw at them. The two exchanged punches with each other. The final shot before the buzzer was missed by the Bulls.
Coby White made the game-winning three-pointer off a pass from Alex Caruso as the shot and game clocks were expiring in the first half. The Bulls took the lead after that.
The audience responded in kind.
It’s not simple to go blow for blow with the Celtics, but it was noteworthy that White, DeMar DeRozan, Nikolas Vucevic, and Ayo Dosunmu were the main players throughout that run.
3. While the majority of the Bulls had trouble in the first quarter, Vucecvic’s impressive first half lifts the Bulls spirits.
In the first half, Vucecvic finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds. When the Bulls really needed someone to just keep them from getting blown out, he paced the team.
Despite facing significant offensive limitations in the second half, Vucecvic managed to post a double-double and add five more rebounds.
4. That quarter appeared to be nearly as “competitive” as Artūras Karnišovas desires.
Karnišovas desires
In a press conference on February 8, Artūras Karnišovas, the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls, used the term “competitive” more than 20 times.
That second quarter was appropriate.
The Bulls matched the league’s top team after they settled into a groove. However, that only covered the second quarter. For Chicago to win, they will need three or four quarters of that.
When Boston came out swinging in the third quarter, that enchantment vanished.
There are still 25 games left for this core to demonstrate that it can be as competitive as Karnišovas desires.
distinction on both sides
Boston started the second half with a goal in mind. That occurred at the 3-point arc.
Before the fourth quarter, the Celtics had made 20 of their 23 3-point attempts during the game.
“You get into trouble with them is when you spread out your defense,” Donovan stated.
The night, Boston made 47 3-pointers.
Donovan remarked, “They’re just getting up and shooting.”
Boston’s defense also improved. With 6:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, Vucevic made his first basket of the second half after he had allowed him to drop 20 in the first half. The Celtics tried their hardest to contain him.
a determined attempt to contain him.
Nevertheless, the Bulls’ 3-point shooting serves as a clear reminder of their shortcomings. Ten 3-pointers were made by Chicago.
The Bulls were forcing their current core—which will be without Zach LaVine for the remainder of the season—to get better on both ends of the court since they did not make a move at the trade deadline.
That might be challenging without a move that helps the Bulls shoot better. That was the case on Thursday.
6. The test was the Celtics. Billy Donovan did not look away from that.
Boston is the best team in the East and the NBA as of the start of the second half of the season.
It was an exam to play them. The Bulls failed to win.
“There are teams that hope to win championships,” Donovan stated. “Clearly they’re one of them.”
With the exception of a brilliant second quarter, the Celtics defeated the Bulls. Boston was able to offensively drive past White and Brown, but Donovan said Tatum’s departure was inevitable.
After the game, Donovan warned the squad that defensive stops result in offensive plays on the other end. In the second half, the Bulls were unable to do that on a regular basis.
Donovan remarked, “We didn’t match that intensity, so to speak.”
This battered Bulls team lacks the requisite firepower to compete. However, the Bulls may find that energy more conducive to winning in their next games against Detroit and New Orleans.
Associated
Torrey Craig of the Chicago Bulls will be out for at least two weeks due to a knee sprain.
Leave a Reply