Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Bulls: Boston Clamps Down Defensively to Overcome Cold Shooting

A deep dive into the Celtics' win over the Bulls in their regular-season series finale.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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In the Celtics' regular-season finale against the Bulls, Boston shot 25 percent or worse from beyond the arc in three of four quarters. The hosts finished 11//41 (26.8 percent) on threes.

But those misses didn't distract from the Celtics' focus or take away from their effort and activity defensively. Boston held DeMar DeRozan, who exited the game early, to four points in the second frame, and kept Chicago's other star, Zach LaVine, scoreless in that period, then limited him to four points in the third.

Between those stops and only committing nine turnovers, limiting their guests to nine points off those giveaways, the Celtics forced the Bulls to operate mostly in a half-court setting.

And with Boston's bench generating 34 points, including Grant Williams matching his regular-season high with 20, the home team did what it had to so it could reach the winner's circle, including producing 44 points in the paint.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out from each quarter of the Celtics' 107-99 victory over the Bulls.

Celtics Overcome Poor Shooting by Making a Living in the Paint in the First Frame

Robert Williams joined the starting lineup for the first time this season. Perhaps, it was due to Marcus Smart's left knee contusion that kept him out of Monday's contest, but even if Smart was active, Williams has proven ready to get back to being a starter.

The Celtics' first points came from Al Horford up-faking, getting from the three-point line to the edge of the paint, then throwing a lob to Williams. Entering tonight's game, the duo has a 4.3 net rating together this season.

A few minutes later, a Horns set with Horford and Robert Williams screening on both sides of Jayson Tatum turned into a staggered screen for Tatum. No one stayed with Williams as he rolled to the rim, and he got an open bucket at the basket. That ended a 1:40 stretch of scoreless basketball by the hosts.

It also gave Boston a 14-7 lead at the 7:24 mark in the opening frame and prompted Billy Donovan to take a timeout. After the stoppage, Payton Pritchard checked in for Jaylen Brown.

With Pritchard outside of the Celtics' rotation, that's a notable development, even with it relating to Smart's absence.

With 4:08 left in the first quarter, Robert Williams returned, replacing Horford. Boston feeling comfortable short-shifting the former is an encouraging sign for where he's at as he continues ramping up.

Another development that stood out in the game's initial 12 minutes was Grant Williams twice attacking off the catch, generating points at the cylinder. It's not that his doing so is a revelation; it's the value it adds for a player in a contract year and a team that's now more dynamic offensively.

The first time, he didn't get rewarded for finishing through contact. On the second occasion, he earned a trip to the free-throw line but could not convert his field goal into an old-school three-point play.

The period ended with Boston holding a 28-25 advantage.

Tatum, the only player to reach double figures on either team, registered 12 points on 5/7 shooting, including drilling two threes. He also dished out two assists.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with eight points, while DeMar DeRozan provided seven on 3/3 shooting.

But the hosts producing 14 points in the paint helped the Celtics overcome going 2/9 from beyond the arc and take a slight lead into the second frame.

Boston Stymies Bulls' Stars in the Second Quarter

In an impressive sequence by Grant Williams early in the second quarter, the former Tennessee Volunteer went back to his collegiate days, working on the left block, demonstrating nimble footwork, then getting a turnaround hook to go down.

He followed that up by swatting a Coby White pull-up three-point attempt, and he nearly added to this sequence, but an open three from the left corner was off the mark.

On the Bulls following trip down the floor, DeRozan buried a pull-up jumper from 15 feet, giving him 11 points in 11 minutes on 5/6 shooting. However, he did not score for the rest of the period.

With 5:43 remaining in the first half, Tatum hit the hardwood after a missed three from the left wing and was visibly upset with the lack of a call. At that juncture, he had not taken a free throw despite a few instances where he had a legitimate case.

The second frame ended on a challenging make from Derrick White, who was thinking lob first with the Timelord by the basket. But with that not materializing, he arched back and banked in a shot from ten feet, sending Boston into the break with a 59-50 advantage.

At the half, the Celtics' two stars had combined for 31 points. Tatum had 16, pairing it with six rebounds and three assists; Brown provided 15, scoring 11 in the second quarter. He also had three assists and a plus-11 plus-minus rating.

White led all participants with a plus-17 plus-minus rating. The veteran guard registered six points on 3/4 shooting, three rebounds, and two assists.

One of the most impressive parts of Boston's first-half performance was only committing three turnovers. Several instances nearly added to that figure, but the hosts took care of the ball, helping contain the Bulls, who mostly had to operate in a half-court setting.

That and holding LaVine scoreless in the second frame while limiting DeRozan to four points, none after the 8:42 mark of a quarter he was on the court for 9:41, and producing 28 points in the paint, were critical to the Celtics' nine-point lead at the break.

Jayson Tatum Propels Hosts to Double-Digit Lead Entering Final Frame

Boston tends to get off to slow starts in the third frame. Monday, Chicago went on a 9-2 run to start the period.

A DeRozan mid-range jumper from 15 feet narrowed the gap to 61-59 at the 9:45 mark.

But just over a minute later, DeRozan fell to the floor after crossing from right to left on a between-the-legs dribble.

The Bulls took a timeout, and their training staff checked on him as he lay on the floor for about half of the stop in play.

While he initially stayed in the game, about two minutes later, he subbed out and did not return.

His exit came on the heels of Tatum staging a 9-0 run, including knocking down a pair of threes and drilling a fadeaway jumper by the right baseline through contact as LaVine sent him to the free-throw line.

Tatum's burst put Boston ahead by 13, 74-61, with 6:27 left in the quarter.

That set the Celtics up to take an 84-73 lead into the final frame.

LaVine Regains His Rhythm, but Boston Finishes the Job

On the hosts second possession of the fourth quarter, Boston produced four shots, corralling three offensive rebounds to extend its opportunity, before finally, Brogdon swooped in to tip in a Grant Williams missed three from the left corner.

The next time down the floor, Robert Williams found Grant Williams for a three from the left wing, giving the Celtics an 89-75 advantage.

But those five points accounted for all of Boston's scoring within the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Bulls outscored the home team 10-5 in that span, cutting the deficit to 89-84.

LaVine, coming off a four-point third quarter and a scoreless second frame, generated eight of those, a dangerous sign for the hosts that he'd recaptured his rhythm after producing eight in the opening period.

But the Celtics landed the next blow, responding with a 7-0 run starting with back-to-back layups by Brown. 

Then, starting with a well-designed sideline out-of-bounds play by Chicago, Alex Caruso delivered a perfect pass to Ayo Dosunmu with Brown tight to LaVine and Horford's stepping towards Vucevic after the latter screened for Dosunmu.

If Boston switched on that, Horford might have picked off the inbounds pass or at least got in a better position to challenge Dosunmu at the basket, but Derrick White recovered and denied Dosunmu at the rim.

At the other end, three defenders hovered around Tatum as he came off a pair of Horford screens. Alex Caruso, stationed at the edge of the paint, had to sprint into the passing lane. Seeing this, Horford faked the swing pass, then dished to a cutting Grant Williams for a baseline flush while getting fouled by LaVine. He then added on the tax, giving Boston a 96-84 lead with 5:33 remaining.

But Chicago wouldn't go away. And after a possession where the hosts had three chances from beyond the arc but couldn't capitalize, LaVine pulled up and elevated for a three from 28 feet at the right wing, pulling the visitors within five, 96-91, with 3:42 on the clock.

But Boston, who went 3/12 from long range in the final 12 minutes, countered, as Grant Williams gathered a feed from Tatum and drilled a three from the left wing, extending the lead to 99-91 with 3:42 left. It also meant Williams matched his regular-season high of 20 points.

Twice, Chicago got within two, including on another three by LaVine, who scored 15 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth quarter. But when doubling Tatum turned into an open three for Horford in the left corner that rattled home, the Celtics put themselves on the verge of victory.

And after a LaVine three was off the mark, White threw the ball ahead to Tatum for a transition jam through contact, putting the exclamation point on Boston's win, then walking toward the crowd behind the basket and letting out a victory scream as the TD Garden faithful erupted.

Tatum also converted on the free throw, capping the Celtics' 107-99 win in their regular-season finale against the Bulls.

Up Next

The Celtics host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Marcus Smart's Absence Makes Monday's Celtics-Bulls Game as Good a Time as Any to Start Robert Williams

The Latest on Marcus Smart, Who Exited the Celtics-Spurs Game Due to a Knee Injury

The Top 5 Plays from Saturday's Celtics-Spurs Game

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Spurs: Boston Never Trails but Has to Fend Off San Antonio in Game That Goes Down to the Wire

[Film Room] How the Celtics Limited Luka Doncic's Impact as a Scorer and Facilitator

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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