By Darryl Harding Sr –
After a painfully lackluster performance defensively, in the second quarter, the Celtics found themselves down by three at the half, 62-59. Despite a steady offensive performance by Jaylen Brown, scoring 20 in the first half, the lapse of defense left the Chicago Bulls in charge and in the lead.
Outscored in the paint by 20 Chicago kept a constant onslaught offensively, but in the end it was a barrage of Celtics 3-pointers, 23 made in all, that kept the Celtics gaining in the third quarter and eventually taking the lead.
Even with 20 points from Colby White and 22 from Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls were unable to fend off the Celtics bombardment. 11 block shots and 10 steals overall is really what sealed the deal and Derrick White’s game high 28 points, 2 points off of a season high, is what finally brought the Celtics the victory in Chicago.
“The time off was nice,” stated Derrick White after the game, “but (we’re) ready to get ramped back up.” Jayson Tatum, finishing with 25, scored 20 of his points in the second half. A side note was the debut of Xavier Tillman, recent pickup before the trade deadline.
The Celtics now travel to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks, Saturday at 8:30 pm while the Bulls head to New Orleans to battle the Pelicans, Sunday at 7:00 pm.