Third loss in a row for the Bulls who lost 114-112 on the floor of the Celtics. Deprived of Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso (among others…), DeMar DeRozan’s teammates had the game well in hand as they were leading 112-106 two minutes from the end.
Chicago had taken control thanks to Coby White in the middle of the quarter, and the DeRozan-Vucevic duo seemed enough to go after. Especially since Jayson Tatum loses a ball, then Coby White covers Jaylen Brown. But Dennis Schroder, solo, is going to score a complicated lay-up, while Jaylen Brown makes up for it by planting a basket in the corner on the throw-in (112-110).
The whole room is on their feet, and after Billy Donovan’s time-out, it’s Malcolm Hill who takes a difficult shot from backing up. Rebound for Robert Williams, who will look for two throws, on the other side of the field. The pivot of the Celtics does not tremble, and he equalizes (112-112). There are 31 seconds left to play.
Ball to DeMar DeRozan who asks his teammates to push. Jayson Tatum defends perfectly, and he forces him to take a complicated fadeaway from six meters. The ball is bowling.
Rebound for Robert Williams again. Foul by Nikola Vucevic, and Robert Williams, again, puts the two throws (114-112). The Bulls have the last possession with 10 seconds left, and on the two-take DeMar DeRozan serves Nikola Vucevic from 3-point range. His shot is too short, but DeMar DeRozan takes the rebound and shoots the buzzer while backing up. Airball, and Boston won 114-112. A fourth victory in five matches.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– An unprecedented five. Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball absent, Billy Donovan unveiled a new look starting five with Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, DeMar DeRozan, Alfonzo McKinnie and Nikola Vucevic. Thanks to the McKinnie-Dosunmu pair, the Bulls held the shock in defense.
– Defense on DeMar DeRozan. Ime Udoka had chosen to place Jayson Tatum and Josh Richardson on the Chicago star, and the plan worked. The two harassed DeMar DeRozan wide, and he had to wait until the start of the second quarter to register his first points. Before the start of the last quarter, he was 3 out of 10 on shots. His awakening almost proved fatal to the Celtics.
– Celtics “clutch”. Boston has the worst close game record in the NBA with 8 wins and 16 losses. Conversely, the Bulls had lost only six times out of 18 in meetings that are played in “money time”. But that did not count for this meeting.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Robert williams. New double-double from the young pivot of the Celtics, dominant in the rebound in the “money time” and perfect in free throws. Like his teammates, he made the difference on the offensive rebound to offer second chances to his teammates.
✅ Jayson Tatum. A game full of Tatum on both sides of the pitch. It was he who put Boston on the right track with 13 points in the first quarter. He took great care of DeMar DeRozan and his defense was decisive.
✅ Nicholas vucevic. DeMar DeRozan muzzled, he held the house for three quarters with his art of pick-and-pop. He was also seen dunking fiercely on Enes Freedom, but also distributing play from the low post. But he misses the winning shot a few seconds from the end…
⛔ DeMar DeRozan. Despite his late awakening, the rear / winger did not weigh on the match with a 7 out of 20 on shots, and we will also remember his two missed shots in the last thirty seconds. The absence of Zach LaVine, the defense of Jayson Tatum and the back-to-back weighed on the legs and arms.
THE FOLLOWING
Boston (22-22) : for MLK Day, Boston welcomes the Pelicans.
Chicago (27-14) : The Bulls travel to Memphis on Monday night.
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