Chicago Bulls' big guns fall silent as Boston Celtics triumph, 129-112

Chicago cannot get past Boston once again.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls began the final stretch run of the regular season on a dour note, losing to the Boston Celtics, 129-112, on Thursday at the United Center. The loss dropped the Bulls to 26-30 for the season.

On to the next one. pic.twitter.com/8kTXWyqSTe

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 23, 2024

Tripped in the third

Chicago overcame an early 16-point deficit with a spectacular second-quarter surge that put them ahead, 62-59. Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu spearheaded the comeback, scoring 20 and 12 points, respectively, in the first half.

However, the Celtics made several defensive adjustments in the third quarter, including how they defended the pick-and-roll, to turn the tables on the Bulls, who made 70 percent of their shots in the second quarter.

Boston also picked it up on offense, scoring 10 straight at the onset of the third, with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White making three-pointers to take a 69-62 advantage. The Celtics’ All-Star wingman Jayson Tatum also got going in that stretch. After being limited to only five points after the first 24 minutes of action, Tatum scored 15 of his 25 points in the third to help give Boston a 96-83 lead heading to the last canto.

Vengeance denied

The Bulls were seeking revenge after getting humiliated by the Celtics earlier this season, 127-94. That loss represented the lowest point for Chicago, as it dropped them to 5-14 at the end of November. However, they have since recovered and were looking for payback.

However, Chicago just couldn’t muster up enough firepower to surpass the NBA’s best team. With Torrey Craig and Patrick Williams still sidelined and Zach LaVine out for the remainder of the season, the Bulls didn’t have enough talent on the floor to keep up with Boston.

Vucevic led the Bulls with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Coby White and DeMar DeRozan had 20 and 19 points, respectively. However, White and Deebo combined to make only 13 of their 34 attempts from the field.

Gimme the hot sauce, Coby! 🥵@NBCSChicago | @CobyWhite pic.twitter.com/a6NQjbRPBs

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 23, 2024

Key games for the Chicago Bulls during the last stretch of the regular season