3 Takeaways & Player Grades: Bulls Plummet Continues with Celtics Beatdown (124-105)

Believe it or not, a matchup between the reeling Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics wasn't pretty. The second-best team in the Eastern Conference pummeled the Bulls to the tune of a 124-105 victory. The Celtics cruised with a 61.5 percent shooting effort from the field and a +20 effort in the rebounding department.

Let's just say, the All-Star break couldn't come at a better time!

3 Takeaways

A Concerning Starting Lineup Tweak

Head coach Billy Donovan decided to shake up his first five amid a five-game losing streak. With Isaac Okoro out, he opted to put Patrick Williams alongside Matas Buzelis at the two forward spots. Then, while sticking with Anfernee Simons in the backcourt, he moved Jaden Ivey to the bench for sparkplug Collin Sexton. Guerschon Yabusele held down the center spot for the third-straight game.

On the one hand, when you're trying to integrate seven new players, you might as well experiment with things. On the other hand, what might this move tell us about head coach Billy Donovan's intentions moving forward?

Tank talk aside, there is no question that it's in this organization's best interest to take a closer look at some players over others. Neither Sexton nor Simons is likely to be a part of this organization moving forward, as both are headed toward unrestricted free agency and soon aging out of Chicago's competitive timeline. Conversely, Rob Dillingham and Ivey are 23 years old or younger. The former is under contract next season, while the latter is one of Chicago's few restricted free agents.

Why wouldn't the Bulls want to get as much film as possible on those two players? Why wouldn't they be putting their development first and foremost over the next month and a half? Look, there is plenty of time for the Bulls to reverse course, and both guards still saw their fair share of minutes. But what's going to happen once Josh Giddey and Tre Jones return? Dividing up the minutes will not be easy, and a night like this suggests that both Simons and Sexton could be higher up in his rotation.

Boston Beatdown

Like when a young sibling asks an older sibling to play in the driveway, the Boston Celtics took it easy on the Chicago Bulls to start.

The two traded leads over the first handful of minutes, but then Chicago got a little too confident. The Celtics tightened their laces and began the beatdown. They ended the first quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 36-27 lead. Payton Pritchard came in off the bench and went 4-5 from the field to immediately crack double digits, letting Anfernee Simons know his Sixth Man services weren't missed.

Meanwhile, the chemistry-less Bulls had their pockets picked repeatedly and struggled to create open looks. They followed up their decently effective first quarter with a 7-23 shooting display against Boston's more focused defense. Speaking of which, their defense couldn't have looked worse. The Celtics crushed them in the paint to the tune of an 8-9 showing. Overall, they missed just eight of their shot attempts in the frame and built up an insurmountable 72-46 by the halftime break.

The second half was only more of the same. Boston had a 30-point advantage less than halfway through the third quarter and would head into the fourth just a bucket shy of the 100 threshold. To say the new-look Bulls looked dejected would be an understatement. When timeouts were called, heads hung low. When the Celtics were running in transition, the Bulls were dragging their feet. Billy Donovan is going to have his hands full convincing this team that they have anything to play for over the next month and a half.

Nikola Vucevic's Revenge

Nikola Vucevic can rest easy tonight.

Now suiting up for the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, the big man looked rejuvenated. He finished the night 7-12 from the field with 19 points and 11 rebounds in just 26 minutes of action. The Bulls watched him easily finish a few buckets over the top of their small front court, as well as drain four of his five attempts from downtown. Believe it or not, the veteran even blocked two shots to finish the night with a team-high +26.

You want to be happy for the 35-year-old, but it was hard not to watch the performance and think about how much better he has it. When will the Bulls be the kind of team a veteran is thrilled to join mid-season?

Five Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Rob Dillingham of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 11, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) tries to cut off Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham (7) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Rob Dillingham – A-
Stats: 16 PTS, 7 AST, 3 STL

One game after recording a career-high 7 rebounds, Rob Dillingham played a career-high in minutes (30) and dropped a season-high in points on 50.0 percent shooting. While he can tend to move too for his own good at times, his ball-handling talent and shifty athletcism is undeniably intriguing. Dillingham sliced his way to the rim numerous times and had a couple of very crafty assists off the bounce.

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats:15 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK

Matas Buzelis looked like arguably the least dejected Bull on the floor. He led the group in shot attempts, was active on the glass, and tried to bring a level of physicality defensively ... even if it didn't work out.

Patrick Williams – C+
Stats: 12 PTS, 6 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL

As far as Patrick Williams games go, this was a surprisingly active two-way effort. The Bulls' offense might have dragged, but he moved the ball decently well and had a couple of good finishes.

Jaden Ivey – C-
Stats: 10 PTS, 4 AST, 3 REB

Jaden Ivey finished with double figures for his fourth straight game in a Bulls uniform. He was also a little more aggressive at times when it came to attacking downhill and trying to get to his spots. Nonetheless, the Bulls will be hoping to see even more from him offensively following the All-Star break.

Anfernee Simons – D+
Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST

The Celtics refused to let their former bench piece get going tonight. Derrick White hounded Simons and held him to his worst performance in a Bulls uniform yet. Head coach Billy Donovan also decided to limit him in the second half, as Simons' 28 minutes were the fewest of any starter.