Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Bulls: Tatum's 36 Points and Brogdon's 25 Propel Boston Back into Win Column
In this story:
Jayson Tatum continues playing like an MVP candidate, Malcolm Brogdon provided 25 points off the bench, and the Celtics staved off the Bulls in crunch time to get back in the win column.
Boston needs tests like tonight to stay sharp and work on areas like their late-game offense. And Joe Mazzulla definitely needs these reps, given the leap he’s making. But the regular season’s also about stacking wins, so it was nice for the Celtics to experience that in victory.
Now, for a deep dive into their 123-119 win.
DeMar DeRozan Helps Chicago Gain the Upper Hand in the First Frame
The game got off to a fast start, with both teams pushing the pace and trading buckets, including an Al Horford dunk after Boston quickly brought the ball up on the heels of a missed three from Zach LaVine.
DeMar DeRozan quickly put up five points for Chicago, including on a jumper from 21 feet, just above the top half of the circle above the free-throw line, demonstrating why he's the maestro of the mid-range.
But when the Celtics turned a Derrick White block of an Ayo Dosunmu layup into a Jayson Tatum layup, the hosts evened the score at ten with 7:35 to play in the frame.
But DeRozan continued to punish Boston, earning back-to-back trips to the free-throw line, including on an old-fashioned three-point play that gave Chicago a 27-19 lead with 3:14 remaining.
With 2:25 left, and Tatum anchoring a lineup otherwise comprised of members of the second unit, beautiful ball movement led to Grant Williams attacking off the dribble from above the break and throwing a lob to Luke Kornet for two points at the rim. That trimmed Boston's deficit to 29-23.
With 4.7 seconds to go, Malcolm Brogdon attacked old friend Javonte Green off the dribble, got his shoulder into Green's chest, and finished through the contact he created, banking a bucket in off the glass. He also tacked on the ensuing free throw, bringing the score to 31-26 entering the second quarter.
Chicago shooting 4/8 from beyond the arc, DeRozan doing damage from the mid-range, leading to a game-high 13 points, and the Bulls outscoring the Celtics 8-0 on the fast break are clear areas of improvement for Boston entering the second frame.
Ball Movement, Tempo, and an Aggressive Approach Leads to Boston Generating 37 Points in Second Quarter
After Alex Caruso delivered a dime, attacking off the dribble and finding Goran Dragic for a three in the opposite corner, Brogdon countered by again getting his shoulder into the defender's chest, this time Caruso, and finishing through contact at the cup. Again, he cashed in on the ensuing free throw, cutting the gap to 34-32.
And after a Tatum three, Brogdon continued to play aggressively, getting to the hoop for another layup, giving Boston a 39-36 advantage.
That was part of a 20-9 run from a unit featuring Tatum, Brogdon, Williams, Sam Hauser, and Kornet. That lineup shifted the momentum of the game.
But the Bulls tied the game on an Alex Caruso dunk -- yes, you read that correctly -- then regained the lead, 43-41, on a LaVine pull-up jumper from 21 feet.
At the 5:29 mark, Brown brought the TD Garden crowd to their feet, taking off for a thunderous one-handed jam, giving the Celtics a 48-45 advantage.
With 1:45 remaining, Tatum passed up a corner three he created off the dribble, going strong to the cup instead. And while his shot didn't go down, Brown grabbed the board and cleaned up the miss to make it 58-55 in favor of the home team.
Boston closed the second frame on a 13-2 run, taking a 63-57 lead into halftime.
Tatum produced a team-high 18 points, going 8/9 at the free-throw line, offsetting a 4/13 shooting performance. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Brogdon chipped in 14 points, with eight coming at the basket.
The Celtics shot 56 percent from the field in the first two quarters, including 5/13 (38.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Their ball movement was excellent, assisting on 15 of 23 field goals and limiting the turnovers to five.
Boston's aggressive approach led to outscoring Chicago 30-12 in the paint and taking 13 free throws, making 12.
As for the Bulls, in a half where both teams nearly put 60 points on the board, led by DeRozan's game-high 19, Chicago shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 6/14 (42.9 percent) from long range. The visitors also outscored Boston 11-0 in fast-break points.
Celtics and Bulls Battle to a Standstill in Third Frame
It didn't produce points, but in an impressive sequence about four minutes into the third frame, Tatum drove, sprayed the ball out to Horford for a three from the right corner, then forcefully grabbed a contested rebound off the miss.
It was a possession that highlighted the growth of Tatum's game and willingness to play more physically.
And that offensive rebound led to Nikola Vucevic picking up his third foul.
At the 5:42 mark, Derrick White and Horford worked an effective two-man game as the former fed the latter as he dove to the rim. Horford finished through contact at the cup and swished the following free throw, giving Boston a 78-68 advantage.
But the Bulls countered with back-to-back threes from Green and Caruso, cutting their deficit to 81-76 with 4:09 to play in the third quarter.
At the 2:25 mark, Brown again sent the crowd into a frenzy, taking a feed from Brogdon after the latter drove into the paint, then put Vucevic on a poster.
With 1:15 to play, Williams received a technical for complaining about a foul call on Kornet. It was a soft call, in this author's opinion. DeRozan went out of his way to create contact with Kornet and barely did so.
The period ended with a DeRozan layup and Brogdon going 1/2 at the free-throw line as the Celtics took a 93-87 lead into the final frame. Neither team was able to create separation or gain ground as both scored 30 points in the quarter.
Celtics Fend Off Bulls to get Back in the Win Column
Joe Mazzulla went back to the unit featuring Tatum alongside Brogdon, Williams, Hauser, and Kornet. It's a smart move after that group went on a 20-9 run in the first half, shifting the momentum in Boston's favor.
Sure enough, that group produced the first five points of the period, including Williams swinging the ball to Hauser for a three from the left corner. That put the hosts ahead 98-87.
At the 8:09 mark, after Hauser got the Celtics an extra possession, pursuing a Tatum mid-range misfire, Boston capitalized on its second opportunity with Williams throwing down a rim-rattling jam to give the home team a 100-87 advantage.
At the 6:23 mark, Smart picked up his second-straight foul, giving him five personals. That brought White back into the game.
With 5:17 remaining, DeRozan, continuing to be a thorn in Boston's side, drew contact and swished a turnaround fadeaway jump shot from 15 feet as Brown fouled him. He then tacked on the free throw, bringing the score to 107-100. That also gave DeRozan 42 points.
With 3:28 left and the Celtics needing a bucket, Mazzulla dialed up his latest well-designed ATO to get his team points at the basket; this time, it was Brogdon building a head of steam as he came down hill, finishing through contact by LaVine.
He also added the point at the stripe, extending Boston's lead to 112-103.
LaVine responded with a potential three-point play of his own, but he couldn't convert at the foul line, keeping the hosts ahead 112-105.
With 2:32 to go, White jumped in front of a LaVine drive, and it looked like he avoided fouling him, but the officials sent LaVine to the line. Mazzulla challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful, and LaVine made both, trimming the gap to 112-107.
DeRozan cut the deficit to 114-112, but White delivered a clutch three from the right wing off a dish from Brown, pushing the Celtics' lead to 117-112 with 1:07 on the clock.
But Chicago wasn't going away easily, as DeRozan found Vucevic for a three at the other end, keeping the Bulls within two, 117-115.
Horford couldn't match it, but Tatum was able to grab the rebound, earning a trip to the free-throw line as he tried to clean up the miss. He went 1/2, putting the Celtics ahead 118-115 with 41.9 seconds remaining.
Going up for the rebound after he missed, Smart took a hard fall on his arm. He laid motionless for a couple of seconds, then clutched it, even bending over in pain. Of course, he stayed in the game.
Tatum then swatted a Patrick Williams layup attempt, and while his outlet pass got picked off, Boston escaped unharmed. Tatum then made two free throws as the crowd serenaded him with MVP chants, giving the Celtics a 120-115 advantage with 19.5 seconds left.
That set the hosts up to walk out of TD Garden with a 123-119 victory.
Up Next
The Celtics face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Eager to Skip Ahead to the Playoffs, the Celtics Must Not Squander the Time Leading Up to It
Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown Strongly Weigh In On Ime Udoka-Nets Rumors
Jayson Tatum Reflects On How Celtics' NBA Finals Run Has Changed Perspective
Jaylen Brown, Joe Mazzulla Dissect Final Play From Celtics' OT Loss Vs. Cavaliers
