It solely took 18 video games however the Boston Celtics lastly took the ground with a completely wholesome roster on Friday night time, and what higher stage to take action than the NBA Cup.
Boston hit the street and arrived within the Windy Metropolis in want of a (stipulation) victory over the Chicago Bulls to maintain its NBA Cup hopes alive. The standings outlook for Group C, led by the Atlanta Hawks, made the Celtics-Bulls battle considerably difficult with a handful of situations that would both make or break Boston’s probabilities.
Boston’s level differential elevated to plus-23 because the Celtics improved to 3-1 in NBA Cup play and 16-3 on the season with a seventh straight victory by defeating the Bulls, 138-129, at United Heart.
Listed here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ NBA Cup win:
STUDS
Jayson Tatum
Boston wanted scoring effectivity and Tatum supplied simply that and extra.
Story continues beneath commercial
Tatum secured his eighth double-double of the season halfway by way of the third quarter, ending with a game-high 35 factors and 14 rebounds. The 26-year-old did a bit of little bit of every part from scoring to rim-protecting to facilitating to — maybe most notably — attending to the free-throw line and difficult Chicago’s protection. With out Tatum’s constant two-way contribution, the Bulls might’ve simply assembled a run-away rally.
Simply one other MVP-caliber night time from Boston’s MVP.
Nikola Vucevic
The Bulls, too, had a frontrunner of their very own to lean on and that was Vucevic.
Chicago’s beginning heart scored a team-leading 32 factors on 11-of-16 taking pictures from the ground whereas grabbing 11 rebounds to safe a double-double of his personal. Vucevic ripped a web page proper from Boston’s playbook and shot 6-for-9 from three, making the 6-foot-10 huge man a significant problem to defend all night time lengthy.
Story continues beneath commercial
Payton Pritchard
There wasn’t a lot head coach Joe Mazzulla might depend on off the bench, however Pritchard’s red-hot hand from 3-point vary was sufficient.
Pritchard equipped a season-high 29 factors, propelled by an incredible 19-point fourth-quarter efficiency. With Derrick White (sore proper foot) sidelined and unavailable for the ultimate body, Pritchard stepped up and adopted in Tatum’s footsteps. He grabbed seven rebounds, created scoring probabilities for teammates and drained seven threes.
DUDS
Boston’s bench manufacturing
Defeating anybody in an NBA Cup is troublesome sufficient, nonetheless, doing so with practically zero contribution from the reserve unit made the mission immensely extra strenuous.
Pritchard’s 29 factors was just about all of the bench supplied. Al Horford (25 minutes), Sam Hauser (22 minutes) Neemias Queta (seven minutes) mixed for 5 factors and shot a mixed 2-for-11. The Celtics couldn’t belief their depth and rotational flexibility by way of stretches through which Tatum or any of the starters wanted a breather, leaving the load on the beginning 5 to determine it out.
Story continues beneath commercial
Coby White
The 24-year-old couldn’t get going all night time, regardless of having loads of probabilities.
White scored simply 11 factors on 3-of-10 taking pictures, together with 1-of-7 from three, turning a handful of potential key baskets into wasted alternatives for Chicago. White fought to make up for the ugly offensive exhibiting by logging six rebounds and 4 assists, however the North Carolina product nonetheless dragged the Bulls.
Josh Giddey
The 22-year-old, like White, was additionally a non-factor.
Giddey obtained uncovered, giving Chicago a minor four-point contribution in 24 beginning minutes. He shot 2-of-6 from the sector, led the workforce in turnovers with three, and ended with 9 rebounds and eight assists, which might’ve changed into a strong triple-double had Giddey finished the naked minimal offensively.
Story continues beneath commercial
