The Boston Celtics (13-3) visited the Chicago Bulls (6-10) on Monday. Boston took aim at its 10th consecutive victory. Chicago wanted to snap a four-game losing streak. A brutal first half proved fatal for the Celtics in a 121-107 defeat.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 28 points on 9-for-19 shooting, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Jaylen Brown scored 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting, with seven rebounds and five turnovers. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 28 points on 11-for-24 shooting, eight rebounds, and four assists. Zach LaVine scored 22 points on 8-for-20 shooting, with five rebounds and five assists.
Here are three observations from the Celtics’ fourth loss of the season.
Jaylen Brown explains why he was proud to see people supporting Kyrie Irving. https://t.co/3c5jMeflge
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 21, 2022
The Celtics failed to apply perimeter pressure in the first half
The Celtics’ defensive resistance didn’t do their offense any favors through an 8-for-26 start from 3-point territory in the first half. The misses bled into run-out opportunities for the Bulls, who were plus-10 in transition in the first half.
The questionable effort revealed itself in the types of shots the Celtics were giving up to Chicago. The Bulls were plus-6 in the paint in the first half. Much of that damage came courtesy of deep catches for Nikola Vucevic. There was also limited resistance against DeRozan establishing himself in the mid-post.
What it essentially boils down to is that the Celtics were not concerned with applying defensive pressure on the perimeter. The Bulls were able to get the ball inside and at their sweet spots. Vucevic isn’t the most nimble or athletically-gifted big, but he’s a talented offensive player. You can have an elite defense and personnel to match up with various styles. Sometimes, the opposition is going to win that battle. Vucevic did on Monday.
Speaking of resistance, it’s one thing if you make DeRozan work to get to his sweet spots at the nail and elbows. If he hits contested shots off the dribble, so be it. But, the Celtics let him establish himself inside, where he had advantageous positioning against smaller defenders, and that compounded the damage.
The Celtics wing said he ‘was not aware’ of who the group was in the clip he retweeted. https://t.co/Ba0kpuM2eR
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 21, 2022
Bostons' defensive activity was consistently late
The Celtics made inroads at various moments in the second half. They finished the game 19-for-50 from 3 after an abysmal first half from beyond the arc. But, they just couldn’t get any stops, even with improved urgency on defense.
The Bulls did what they were supposed to do on offense, their three best players not allowing the ball to stick. But when the rock swung, the Celtics were late in their rotations too often. The mistimed rotations to the open man had Boston out of position, giving the Bulls driving lanes to penetrate the interior and make decisions.
The Celtics gave the Bulls confidence in the first half, and they couldn’t take it away in the second half.
Despite a lack of size in their frontcourt, Boston gets rebounding done by committee https://t.co/XPclI5lQDs
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 22, 2022
The timeless DeRozan
You know what he wants to do. You know what you’re supposed to do to stop him. And DeMar DeRozan still gets you. His touch in the midrange rarely ever fails, and it was especially on point on Monday.
DeRozan only shot 11-for-24 from the field, but every make was a back-breaker for Boston.
The Celtics (13-4) will host the Dallas Mavericks (9-7) on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the game on ESPN.
PHOTOS – Bulls at Celtics: Boston falls to Chicago 121-107 on the road, snap nine-game win streak https://t.co/8h1BkUafNM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 22, 2022
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