Takeaways & Player Grades: Bulls Shock Celtics, Move Over .500

For the first time since November, the Chicago Bulls have a winning record.

The team stunned the second-place Boston Celtics, 114-111, behind another red-hot shooting night from long range. They now have four consecutive wins and move to 23-22 on the season. Chicago also did it in front of a sold-out United Center crowd, as Chicagoans packed the building for Derrick Rose's official jersey retirement.

To see Rose's historic moment, as well as learn more about the night's festivities, be sure to check out our live updates post!

3 Takeaways

A Tight First Half

With Derrick Rose patiently waiting to become the franchise's fifth player to have his jersey retired, the Chicago Bulls looked eager to impress. They came out with the same momentum they ended Thursday night's victory with, building an early lead with their tempo and ball movement.

They shot 48.0 percent in the first quarter and did not hesitate to let shots fly from behind the arc. In fact, the Chicago Bulls' first four makes of the night came from long range. Matas Buzelis got things going with a 23-footer before Coby White knocked down back-to-back buckets. Jalen Smith followed that up with his first triple of the night. The Bulls went on to take a slim 30-28 lead into the second quarter, as Boston shot a mere 42.0 percent from the field with a far less successful 4-11 start from deep.

Nevertheless, the Celtics would find their groove in the second quarter largely because of their star player. Jaylen Brown – who had an uncharacteristically poor night in his last battle with the Bulls – scored or assisted on 15 of the team's 30 points in the frame. With the three-ball struggling to fall, they prioritized attacking Chicago's weak interior defense, going 8-11 in the paint.

The Bulls also didn't help themselves by committing five of their eight first-half turnovers in the quarter. All things considered, it was primarily these cough-ups that ended up giving the Celtics the slim 58-52 advantage at the break. The Bulls actually shot better from the field in the first half and had a couple more made threes. Regardless, Boston has been one of the best teams at taking care of the basketball this season, and this made an early difference.

Tiring Them Out

Essentially, all season long, the Boston Celtics have sat dead-last in PACE. The Chicago Bulls have been the exact opposite, ranking among the quickest playing teams in the NBA. In their first meeting earlier this month, it was Boston that was able to force Chicago to play their brand of basketball. Tonight, the Bulls proved to have the upperhand.

With the Celtics playing a double-OT game less than 24 hours prior against the Brooklyn Nets, the Bulls knew they had a chance to tire them out. They came out of the halftime locker room with a huge sense of urgency, pushing the tempo and making quick decisions. This ultimately led to an absurdly efficient 14-20 shooting display from the field. Yes, they continued to light it up from deep, but it was arguably their steady success from the paint that helped put them in a position to grab their largest lead of the night. Much like Boston in the second quarter, they returned the favor with an 8-10 showing in the paint.

To be sure, the talented Boston squad was able to hang around, but the Bulls' fresher legs continued to stand out the deeper we got into the game. Patrick Williams would catch the Celtics off guard with a baseline drive and dunk (yes, you read that right). Coby White would draw a huge charge in crunch time. Jalen Smith would force an equally huge jump ball with some good defense on Jaylen Brown. And, most importantly, quick passing from the Bulls' guards would lead to a late rotation for the Celtics and a game-winning three by Kevin Huerter.

The Bulls ended the night with an 18-8 advantage in fastbreak points, as well as 32 assists on 43 made field goals. The Celtics simply couldn't keep up on some key possessions.

On Fire From Deep

There may be a polar vortex sweeping its way through Chicago this week, but the Chicago Bulls have yet to cool off. They have been one of the hottest shooting teams in the NBA over the last handful of games, and that only continued in front of this raucous crowd.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Bulls had posted a 21-45 shooting effort from downtown. They outscored the Celtics by 18 points, which sure came as a surprise considering the Celtics' track record from behind the arc. They entered the night averaging the second-most makes per game and the eighth-highest success rate.

The Bulls have now made 17+ threes in four consecutive games. This is only the third time in franchise history they have recorded that kind of streak. Even more notable, per Stathead, their 83 total made threes are their most ever in a four-game stretch.

Five Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0)shoots against the Boston Celtics during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Kevin Huerter – A
Stats: 12 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

At the end of the day, when you hit a near buzzer-beater on Derrick Rose night over the second-best team in the Eastern Conference ... you get an automatic A.

HUERTER WITH 0.2 ON THE CLOCK FOR THE WINNER pic.twitter.com/CsJDuJJz4b
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) January 25, 2026

Coby White – A-
Stats: 22 PTS, 7 AST, 1 REB

Coby White has now scored 22+ points in four straight games. The guard may have shot 6-16 from the field, but he continues to look a lot more like his former self. He went 5-9 from behind the arc and 5-5 at the charity stripe. Likewise, White played a major part in tiring out Boston with his ball movement, which included passing up the game-winning shot attempt despite his hot night.

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST

Matas Buzelis had a well-rounded night and finished a team-high +15. Down the stretch, when they needed to make sure the boards were cleaned, he stepped up and kept the Celtics from grabbing second-chance points.

Jalen Smith – B
Stats: 14 PTS, 9 REB

Jalen Smith showed up on both ends, going 6-10 from the field and playing some surprisingly active defense. He had a great moment locking onto Jaylen Brown along the perimeter and forcing the jump ball in the clutch.

Josh Giddey – C
Stats: 4 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB

After showing very little rust in Thursday night's game, Josh Giddey struggled with a 1-6 shooting display against a tough Boston backcourt. Also, while dishing 10 assists, he turned the ball over five times.