Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls – Starting Lineups, Injury News, How to Watch

The Chicago Bulls are hoping that fresher legs prevail tonight.

The Boston Celtics are less than 24 hours removed from an OT battle in Brooklyn. While they were able to escape with the 130-126 win, the young Nets gave them almost everything they could handle. Star Jaylen Brown had to clock 46 minutes, while sharpshooters Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard were on the floor for 39+ minutes. Can the Bulls use their tempo to run this tired group off the court?

For what it's worth, commanding the pace of play proved difficult in their last meeting. Boston sits 30th in PACE and broke down the Bulls' defense for a 115-101 win earlier this month. They specifically dominated on the offensive glass, out-rebounding Chicago a staggering 20-6 in this department. Their ability to feast on second-chance opportunities more than made up for their 40.0 percent shooting night from the field.

Indeed, if the Bulls want to walk away with a fourth-straight victory, they are going to have to play a far more physical game down low. The good news is that Jalen Smith will be available in this one after he was forced to miss their last meeting. Still, there is going to have to be a team-wide emphasis on crashing the glass to avoid trouble.

The other good news is that the atmosphere inside the building tonight should be second to none. Derrick Rose will officially have his jersey retired after the game, giving the Bulls a little extra motivation to come out with a performance that makes the franchise legend proud. To their credit, they were able to do this last season during his retirement ceremony, handing the Knicks a shocking 139-126 defeat.

How to Watch

Who: Boston Celtics (28-16) at Chicago Bulls (22-22)
Where: United Center
When: 7:00 P.M. CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network

Projected Starting Lineups

Chicago Bulls

1. Coby White
2. Isaac Okoro
3. Matas Buzelis
4. Jalen Smith
5. Nikola Vucevic

Boston Celtics (UPDATED)

1. Payton Pritchard
2. Derrick White
3. Sam Hauser
4. Jaylen Brown
5. Amari Williams

Injury News

Tre Jones of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls have Josh Giddey on the floor tonight after the guard was forced to miss the team's first meeting with the Celtics earlier this month. However, the plan appears to be to keep him on a tight minutes restriction, as it's only his second game back after a three-week absence.

For more injury updates, check out our post from earlier today!

Chicago Bulls Injury Report

Tre Jones – OUT (hamstring)
Zach Collins – OUT (toe)

Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown – PROBABLE (hamstring)
Neemias Queta – PROBABLE (illness)
Josh Minott – OUT (ankle)
Jayson Tatum – OUT (Achilles)