Ten Takeaways from Celtics blowout win vs. Bulls

1. Bounce again win

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

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

Boston does an excellent job in the case of bouncing again from a troublesome sport; for the reason that begin of final season, the Celtics have a 23-4 document after a loss (together with the playoffs).

2. Tatum takeover

Jayson Tatum was a person possessed on this sport as he performed his greatest sport 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 simply the second participant in NBA historical past with 40+ factors, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 9 threes in a sport (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 have 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 sport recording 18 factors, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-8 from the sector and 4-5 from three.

Tatum additionally did an excellent job of attacking the basket because the Bulls couldn’t cease him from getting anyplace he needed to on the court docket. This lack of protection led to his greatest 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 sport as he made some fairly insane passes into tight home windows. His greatest was off of an Al Horford missed three; Tatum obtained the rebound on the prime of the important thing and threw a fastball to Derrick White within the dunker’s spot for a straightforward layup.

I believe Jayson Tatum simply loves taking part in towards the Bulls. In three video games towards them this season, he’s averaging 36.3 PPG, 13 REB, 6.3 AST on 59% capturing 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 an excellent job of attacking the paint on this sport, profitable the factors within the paint battle 60-38. Boston misplaced to the Bulls on Thursday by persevering with to shoot threes once they weren’t falling and never going to the basket sufficient.

This sport began in a different way 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 sport paints the image fairly properly as 32 of their 100 pictures tonight got here straight within the paint.

4. Porzingis cheat code

It’s at all times good to have a 7’3” large 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 swap 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 an excellent sport on the offensive finish with 22 factors and seven rebounds but additionally did an excellent job defending Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is a identified Celtics killer and Porzingis restricted him from attending to the rim and made an excellent contest on his makes an attempt.

This was an all-around nice sport from Porzingis and that’s encouraging to see as a result of when his is taking part in like this the Celtics are virtually inconceivable to cease.

5. Lockdown protection

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

Boston did an excellent 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 capturing. The Bulls bench was additionally an enormous think about 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 damage, the Celtics tried two totally different gamers to fill in for his minutes. On Thursday, Jaden Springer obtained the decision in his first prolonged run of the season he performed 13 minutes and didn’t look terrible however undoubtedly 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 sport 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.

One among my favourite performs was when he was capable of chase Lonzo Ball across the court docket for seemingly all the shot clock, forcing Ball to chuck up a missed three.

Jaden Springer did ultimately get within the sport throughout rubbish time and had a fairly good and-1 hook shot that had the Celtics bench hyped.

7. Rebounding enchancment

Within the final sport towards the Bulls, it felt like each time a staff 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 have 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 sport. 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 correct place on the proper time.

Picture by Jeff Haynes/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

8. Strong Brown sport

It was nice to see Jaylen Brown return to type after struggling towards the Bulls final day trip. 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 taking part in all the 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 turned 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 sport

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

Horford at all times gave the impression to be in the correct place for Boston on this sport 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 large 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. Constructive 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 capturing, however he made a huge impact on this sport.

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. One among his greatest 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 isn’t falling, Payton Pritchard will discover a technique to make an influence on the sport.