The Celtics showed up big time against the Chicago Bulls, dominating with a 123-98 win. This wasn’t about revenge for Thursday’s loss - it was about getting our heads straight and playing Celtics basketball.
Let’s be real, our first half defense wasn’t great. We allowed too much penetration and the Bulls were getting open looks. But Jayson Tatum started cooking in the second quarter with 13 points, and that’s when things started turning around.
The second half? That’s when we really locked in. We did a great job limiting Zach LaVine to just 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Holding him to only five three-point attempts when he’s been averaging around eight per game? That’s huge.
Now, there’s been some talk about us adjusting our style and attacking the rim more. But here’s the thing - we didn’t really change our approach. Joe Mazzulla always emphasizes making the right read and the right play. Against the Bulls’ defense, those reads just happened to lead to more drives to the basket.
We still took 45 threes, but we also racked up 60 points in the paint. That’s just taking what the defense gives us.
Jaylen Brown looked more like himself, putting up a solid 20 points with 8 assists. But the star of the show? Jayson Tatum, no doubt.
Tatum let the game come to him early on, then absolutely exploded. He finished with a historic 43 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. No Celtic has ever put up a stat line like that - not even Larry Bird.
What’s impressive is how Tatum did it within the flow of the game. He wasn’t chasing stats; he was just dominating as the game opened up for him.
After the game, Tatum made it clear - he’s not focused on chasing MVP numbers. He’s all about the team’s success and competing for championships.
“We have so many talented players that I’m probably not going to put up some of the same numbers as those other guys, and that’s perfectly fine with me,” Tatum said. “Especially with what we did in June last year. That’s the main goal here. Not for me to win MVP, but for us to play at a high level and compete for a championship year in and year out.
“If I accomplish that along the way, then that would be amazing, but the main goal is for everybody to feel involved and everybody to play a part in us doing something special.”
That’s exactly what you want to hear from your superstar.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Celtics’ bounce-back win, tune into the Locked On Celtics podcast for this and much more, including today’s mailbag episode:
- Can Boston catch the Cavs?
- What did Milwaukee’s loss in Cleveland say about the NBA Cup?
- 3-point complaints
- Shifting energy
- Shoe wars in the locker room?
