After being down as much as 19 points during the first quarter, the Chicago Bulls won by 18 points and handed the Boston Celtics their first loss of the 2022-23 season. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 25 points, five assists, and five rebounds. On his 32nd Birthday, Nikola Vucevic got 18 points and 23 rebounds. Vucevic and Drummond combined for 35 rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu had an excellent bounce game with 22 points, missing one of ten shots.
5 Takeaways from Bulls win
1. Another Slow Start by Chicago
The Bulls have gotten outscored in the first quarter in three out of their first four games. Even though Chicago fought their way back to win this game with their bench and second-half surge, they can not afford to play from behind every game. This game could have been totally different if the Celtics got out to a 12-0 run in their home building. Chicago did shoot 50% from the field in the first quarter, but they did not show any fight early on the defensive end, allowing 39 points.
On Wednesday, against a rebuilding Indiana Pacers team, Chicago will get a great chance to have a fast start and possibly allow their starters to rest late in the game. The Bulls start their second set of back-to-back games on Friday on the road against the San Antonio Spurs and return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
2. Boston hot early but cool off after
The Boston Celtics came out to play from the start with a 12-0 run within the game’s first three minutes. Chicago could not score a basket until the 7:44 minute mark of the first quarter. Boston was 72.7% from deep and 58.3% from the field in the first quarter. During the second quarter, the Celtics only made six out of 25 shots. After the first quarter, Boston shot 30.3% from the field for the rest of the game.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 25 out of the 39 points in the first quarter. Tatum would finish the game with 26 points, and Brown got 21 points. The other players to score in double-digits were Marcus Smart, with 11 points, and new Celtics addition Malcolm Brogdon, with 12 points.
3. Bench Unit + Lavine lead comeback
At the 3:32 mark of the first quarter, Marcus Smart made a three to extend the lead to 19 points, and Bulls fans were thinking about a repeat performance from Saturday night. But instead, once the bench unit and Zach Lavine entered the game. The bench unit includes Goran Dragic, Alex Caruso, Javonte Green, and Andre Drummond. They got back in the game quickly with a 21-5 run.
Chicago got more ball movement and energy out of their bench unit. Bill Donavon made the correct adjustment to keep either DeMar DeRozan or Zach Lavine on the court at all times after what happened against Cleveland. During the second quarter, Derrick Jones Jr got some playing time with the bench unit and Lavine. A Goran Dragic layup gave Chicago their first lead of the game at 46-44. The Bulls would outscore the Celtics 35-15 in the second quarter.
4. Bulls take full control during third quarter
When you thought Chicago would start hot in the third quarter, Boston began the second half with a 12-4 run to cut the lead down to three, 69-66. The Celtics big three of Tatum, Brown, and Smart finally got their team back in the game within four minutes. But after a Chicago timeout, they would outscore Boston 31-13 in the final 8:19 minutes of the third quarter. Boston could not shoot well enough to keep up with the Bulls and headed up losing by 21 points heading into the fourth quarter, 100-79.
Chicago scored whenever they wanted to, but more importantly, they were aggressive, leading to 16 points in the paint in the third quarter. The Bulls would finish the game with 46 points in the paint.
5. Patrick Williams Struggles
Heading into the Bulls’ next matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Chicago could look at changing their starting lineup with Javonte Green instead of Patrick Williams. Williams did get open shots early but could not seem to get any shots to fall. He would finish the game with four points, shooting 2-for-7 from the field in 14 minutes of playing time. He ended the game with a plus/minus of -9, even though Chicago won by 18 points. It will take some time for Williams to be more aggressive against the best of the NBA. But a game on Wednesday against the Pacers could be the game that Williams needs to build his confidence.
When Chicago got back in the game, Javonte Green helped give the spark for Lavine and DeRozan. On Saturday, when Chicago made a third-quarter push, Green was in the game. Javonte Green finished the game with six points and one steal on 2-for-2 shooting in 16 minutes. Another forward contributor was Derrick Jones Jr, who scored ten points in 14 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Bulls get back in the win column
After an impressive win in Miami, Chicago lost two in a row and got blown out in their season opener against Cleveland. But now the Bulls have two wins against the teams who played in the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami Heat and now the Boston Celtics. Chicago will have a couple of winnable games before playing the 76ers on Saturday.
Celtics lose first game of season
After starting the season with a perfect 3-0 record, they get their first loss on the road in a tough place to win. Nobody could get hot during the second half, and frustration kicked in during the third quarter. Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla got ejected for complaining about why Nikola Vucevic did not receive a technical foul when Vucevic got mad at a questionable call. Jayson Tatum got a technical, and Grant Williams got ejected for making contact with a ref. Boston will get a few days off to cool down before playing Cleveland.
Up Next
Chicago will host Indiana on Wedneday.
Boston will host Cleveland on Friday.
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