LAS VEGAS – Offense was hard to come by Saturday afternoon for the Boston Celtics, who fell 71-62 to the Chicago Bulls during their opening contest of the Samsung NBA Summer League 2016.
Boston scored only 10 points during the first quarter while shooting a woeful 23.5 percent from the field. It found a rhythm during the middle two frames, totaling 40 points, but went cold yet again during the final period while scoring only 12 points.
Chicago didn’t exactly light up the nets either, but it scored just enough to get the win. Four Bulls notched double-digit scoring efforts, led by 17 points from Bobby Portis. Chicago only shot 38.6 percent from the field as compared to Boston’s 32.8 percent clip.
Portis was by far the player of the game. He tallied an impressive double-double that consisted of game-high totals of 17 points and 13 rebounds. Four of those rebounds were at the offensive end of the court, including three that led to three second-chance baskets during the opening five minutes of the game.
Chicago won the game with its defense, rebounding and power. The Bulls outrebounded the Celtics by a count of 46-28, including a 14-11 edge at the offensive end. Chicago capitalized on its second-chance opportunities, shooting 8-of-13 from the field. The C’s, meanwhile, did not, as they made only three of their eight second-chance shots. The Bulls scored 40 points in the paint to Boston’s 24.
Despite the difference in paint scoring and rebounding, Boston had a chance to grab the win. In fact, the Celtics took a two-point lead – its largest of the game – with 8:15 remaining when Abdel Nader nailed two free throws.
Chicago, however, answered back, and in a big way. The Bulls countered Nader’s bucket with a swift 12-0 run over the next three minutes and 42 seconds of the game. Jack Cooley led the spurt by scoring five points for Chicago.
That run put the Bulls ahead by 10 points with 4:33 left on the clock and their lead eventually grew to 14 as the Celtics went cold from the field. Boston made only four field goals during the final period and finished the contest with only seven assists.
Terry Rozier’s 13 points led Boston, while Nader scored 12 off the bench and Guerschon Yabusele tallied 10 to go along with seven rebounds.
Boston will be back in action at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night when it takes on the Phoenix Suns. Rozier, who has been the team’s top player throughout its first four Summer League games, will not play in the game as the coaching staff looks to get him some rest.
