The Boston Celtics (24-21) defeated the Chicago Bulls (24-19) 110-101 on Friday.
The contest turned out to be closer than would have appeared at halftime, when the Celtics held a 64-49 lead. Spearheaded by strong performances from their top players, the Bulls mounted an offensive charge, particularly in the third period. Chicago's guard duo of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler impressively found success against one of the stingier backcourt defenses in the league, with the pair tallying 27 and 28 points, respectively. However, the home team benefited from balanced production from their starters, and timely offense from their bench, to pull away late and secure the victory.
Butler supplemented his game-high scoring total with 14 rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Rose added seven rebounds and three assists to his stat line. Pau Gasol bounced back from a one-point effort against the Warriors on Wednesday to post a double-double, totaling 18 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Tony Snell (two points) and Taj Gibson (nine points) weren't able to lend much support on the scoreboard, and rookie Bobby Portis led the reserves with eight points, three rebounds, a steal and a block.
Despite the loss, the Bulls remain in second place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They head to Cleveland for a Saturday night showdown with the Cavaliers.
Boston was led by Isaiah Thomas' 22 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. Avery Bradley was right behind him, putting together a complete effort on both sides of the ball. The Celtics' two-guard tallied 21 points, four assists, a rebound and four steals. Jared Sullinger got the starting call at power forward with Amir Johnson out for personal reasons, and posted a stat-sheet-stuffing double-double. He collected 18 points, hauled in 12 boards, dished out five assists, and recorded three thefts and a block. Kelly Olynyk pitched in with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block. Evan Turner led the Boston bench with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Marcus Smart (eight points) and Tyler Zeller (seven points, five of which came in the final period) also made important contributions.
With the win, the Celtics hold on to second place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are scheduled to take on the Sixers in Philadelphia on Sunday evening, after the game was rescheduled due to the winter storm affecting the Northeast.
