The Celtics once again struggled in the 4th on Friday afternoon and dropped a game to the Chicago Bulls by the final of 109-102. Joakim Noah put up a monster stat line for the Bulls, finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks. Jimmy Butler led the way in the scoring column with 22 points and Derrick Rose looked like his normal self scoring 21 points in 28 minutes.
The Celtics were led by Jared Sullinger who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Avery Bradley chipped in 18 and Brandon Bass finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds. The game marks the Celtics 5th consecutive home loss, and the Cs have now lost 6 of 7 following their road win the last time the two teams met in Chicago on November 8th.
The Celtics controlled the game for much of the first half, opening up a 16 point lead with just over 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter. However, the Bulls finished the quarter on a 14-4 run, capitalizing on four Celtics turnovers and some poor outside shooting. Still, the Celtics managed to get to the locker room with a 60-54 lead.
A high scoring 3rd quarter allowed the Celtics to maintain their six point lead, although the Cs have to be frustrated they were not able to extend it. They hurt themselves in the 3rd, turning the ball over five times (resulting in 8 Chicago points) and allowing 10 second chance points.
Celtics fans have become accustomed to late game struggles, and the 4th quarter today was no different. The Cs 6 point lead quickly evaporated early in the quarter, and the Celtics managed only 11 points on 5 of 26 shooting for the period. Rajon Rondo struggled in the final frame, shooting 1/8 and missing two big free throws down the stretch.
The Green
- Avery Bradley shot the ball much better tonight, finishing with 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting and 2 of 4 from deep.
- Outside of the 4th quarter, the Celtics did a nice job attacking the basket against a very big Chicago front line. They finished with 29 free throw attempts, about 10 more than their season average coming into the game.
The Gross
- Kelly Olynyk had another tough game, shooting 1 of 8 in just 19 minutes of action.
- The Celtics gave up 18 offensive rebounds that totaled 26 second chance points for Chicago.
- 4th quarter struggles continue: Poor shooting, poor execution, and missed free throws late by Rondo and Sullinger
The Greenlights
Tommy loses it (again)
The Grid
- The Bulls blocked 13 shots (Noah 6, Mirotic 5) while the Celtics were only able to block 2.
- The Bulls outscored the Celtics on the fastbreak (CHI 18 BOS 11), an area where the team typically excels.
- This tough stretch of games continues for the Celtics on Sunday, when they will take on the Spurs at home.
Condensed Game via CELTICS LOWDOWN
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola
