Ten Takeaways from Celtics blowout win vs. Bulls

1. Bounce again win

After an unpleasant loss to the Bulls on Thursday, the Celtics responded with a 25-point blowout of Chicago within the second recreation of the home-and-home mini-series.

The Bulls stayed within the recreation up till the third quarter when Jayson Tatum caught hearth and the Celtics by no means seemed again.

Boston does a fantastic job on the subject of bouncing again from a tricky recreation; for the reason that begin of final season, the Celtics have a 23-4 report after a loss (together with the playoffs).

2. Tatum takeover

Jayson Tatum was a person possessed on this recreation as he performed his finest recreation of the season and recorded his third profession triple double with a stat line of 43 factors, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, on 16-24 from the sector, and 9-15 from three.

Tatum is just the second participant in NBA historical past with 40+ factors, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 9 threes in a recreation (James Harden in 2016). He solely had two free throw makes an attempt.

As soon as Tatum hit his first three of the sport and blew a kiss to the group we must always have identified we had been in for a present. Tatum lit up the Bulls from past the arc with 7 of his 9 made threes coming within the second half. The third quarter was his magnum opus on this recreation recording 18 factors, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-8 from the sector and 4-5 from three.

Tatum additionally did a fantastic job of attacking the basket because the Bulls couldn’t cease him from getting wherever he wished to on the courtroom. This lack of protection led to his finest play of the night time as he was capable of get by Coby White with no resistance and rose as much as dunk on Jalen Smith.

Tatum’s facilitating may need been essentially the most spectacular a part of his recreation as he made some fairly insane passes into tight home windows. His finest was off of an Al Horford missed three; Tatum acquired the rebound on the prime of the important thing and threw a fastball to Derrick White within the dunker’s spot for a simple layup.

I feel Jayson Tatum simply loves enjoying in opposition to the Bulls. In three video games in opposition to them this season, he’s averaging 36.3 PPG, 13 REB, 6.3 AST on 59% taking pictures and 44% from past the arc. A efficiency like this could actually strengthen an MVP marketing campaign.

3. Attacked the basket with authority

The Celtics did a fantastic job of attacking the paint on this recreation, successful the factors within the paint battle 60-38. Boston misplaced to the Bulls on Thursday by persevering with to shoot threes after they weren’t falling and never going to the basket sufficient.

This recreation began otherwise within the first quarter. Eighteen of the Celtics 28 pictures got here contained in the arc, 11 of which coming on the basket. Boston’s shot distribution on this recreation paints the image fairly nicely as 32 of their 100 pictures tonight got here immediately within the paint.

4. Porzingis cheat code

It’s at all times good to have a 7’3” massive man who can simply shoot over any defender smaller than him. When Kristaps Porzingis will get to the center of the ground and will get the change on to a smaller defender, 9 instances out of ten, he’s going finish to stand up and hit a shot over the defenders head and there may be nothing they will do about it.

Porzingis had a fantastic recreation on the offensive finish with 22 factors and seven rebounds but additionally did a fantastic job defending Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is a identified Celtics killer and Porzingis restricted him from attending to the rim and made a superb contest on his makes an attempt.

This was an all-around nice recreation from Porzingis and that’s encouraging to see as a result of when his is enjoying like this the Celtics are nearly inconceivable to cease.

5. Lockdown protection

The Celtics protection and rim safety has been a subject of dialog this 12 months. In some video games, groups have been capable of assault them on the paint with no resistance. This recreation was not a kind of nights as Boston was capable of defend the rim holding Chicago to 13-35 taking pictures (37%) within the painted space.

Boston did a fantastic job of limiting the Bulls from getting any momentum. Stopping Zach LaVine was the principle catalyst of this, as of their final assembly LaVine torched them for 36 factors however he was a non-factor on Saturday, scoring solely 14 factors on 4-11 taking pictures. The Bulls bench was additionally an enormous consider Chicago’s win on Thursday however Boston was capable of cease them from producing any probability of a comeback.

6. Kornet replaces Springer

With Sam Hauser lacking the final two video games with harm, the Celtics tried two totally different gamers to fill in for his minutes. On Thursday, Jaden Springer acquired the decision in his first prolonged run of the season he performed 13 minutes and didn’t look terrible however positively wasn’t superb.

Saturday was a distinct story as Joe Mazzulla put in Luke Kornet over Springer because the eighth man off of the bench. Kornet performed a strong recreation as recorded 4 factors and eight rebounds, was a +10, and was capable of play good protection when he was on the market with Al Horford.

Considered one of my favourite performs was when he was capable of chase Lonzo Ball across the courtroom for seemingly the whole shot clock, forcing Ball to chuck up a missed three.

Jaden Springer did finally get within the recreation throughout rubbish time and had a reasonably good and-1 hook shot that had the Celtics bench hyped.

7. Rebounding enchancment

Within the final recreation in opposition to the Bulls, it felt like each time a crew missed a shot somebody from Chicago was there to get the rebound which led to them both begin a quick break alternative or get one other shot try off.

Saturday was totally different nonetheless because it was Boston who had been monsters on the glass tonight out rebounding the Bulls 59-43 together with 17 offensive rebounds. This led to 25 second probability factors for the Celtics and deflated the Bulls on the identical time.

This was additionally an indication that Boston was engaged all through this recreation. Payton Pritchard grabbed 2 offensive rebounds in a row to kick it out to Derrick White. White would miss all three shot makes an attempt however it exhibits how Boston was capable of be in the precise place on the proper time.

Photograph by Jeff Haynes/NBAE through Getty Pictures

8. Stable Brown recreation

It was nice to see Jaylen Brown return to kind after struggling in opposition to the Bulls final outing. Brown completed with 19 factors which could not sound spectacular, however he was contributing in each a part of the sport.

He was capable of set the tone early on for the Celtics offense, scoring 9 factors within the first quarter and establishing the Celtics offensive philosophy of attending to the basket. After enjoying the whole quarter within the first, Brown was capable of end the half with 15 factors and gasoline a 7-point lead at halftime. The exclamation level of his first half was when he stole the ball from the Bulls and took it for an emphatic dunk.

Within the second half Brown wasn’t seeking to rating a lot as Tatum began to go off, so he grew to become a facilitator. Brown had 5 of his 8 assists on the sport within the second half and was capable of arrange Tatum for a number of scoring alternatives.

9. Sneaky good Horford recreation

Al Horford is the last word Swiss Military knife for the Celtics. Some video games, they don’t want him to do rather more than play good protection and area the ground and different instances he finally ends up carrying the Celtics offense with a sizzling taking pictures night time. This recreation was a pleasant center floor.

Horford at all times gave the impression to be in the precise place for Boston on this recreation as he completed with 8 factors and seven rebounds. Within the first half Horford didn’t have any factors however was capable of play some good protection in double massive lineups with Luke Kornet off of the bench. He was capable of rise up on this block of an Ayo Dosunmu layup and began to attain within the second half when Chicago tried to mount a comeback.

10. Optimistic P

Payton Pritchard’s stat line tonight wouldn’t be essentially the most spectacular on first look, 6 factors, 4 rebounds, 2 assists on 2-7 taking pictures, however he made a big effect on this recreation.

Pritchard performed 31 minutes tonight and completed as a +31. Pritchard performed some nice protection and grabbed well timed offensive rebounds that led to Boston getting one other alternative to attain. Considered one of his finest performs of the night time was placing the clamps on Patrick Williams on a fadeaway try.

This simply goes to indicate that even when his shot is just not falling, Payton Pritchard will discover a approach to make an impression on the sport.