Presentation by national insurance agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls opened post-All-Star break action with a 129-112 loss to the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on Thursday at the United Center.
It was the Celtics’ seventh straight win and the second blowout loss in two tries in this season’s series, with one matchup remaining in March, underscoring the disparity between the two teams.
“When they got even better in the third quarter, we couldn’t match it,” Nikola Vucevic said.
Below are 10 observations.
—The shorthanded Bulls will rely on their leading scorer to get through a daunting schedule. DeMar DeRozan and Coby White combined for 9 of 27 shots through the third quarter. They totaled 13 for 34. The Bulls need more of them.
—Jayson Tatum had five points at halftime, but scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics ran for cover. Boston turned a three-point lead at halftime into a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.
—Luke Cornett made the first five baskets with dunks and ran down court in celebration after one basket. After making his second consecutive putback dunk in the fourth, White got frustrated and punched the basket post, and DeRozan received a technical foul.
—The Celtics make the most 3-pointers in the NBA, averaging 16.2 on 42.7 attempts. They made 3-pointers on their first four possessions, going 23-of-37 from beyond the arc. They outscored the Bulls by 39 points from beyond the arc.
“That’s their job. They’re a really good shooting team. All five starters can really shoot,” Vucevic said. “We knew it was coming.”
—Boston is more than just an elite offensive team. They entered with the third-best defensive rating, blocking 6 of 11 shots in the first quarter alone. Derrick White had three blocks early on, including a strong shot when matched up with Vucevic in the post. White was all over the place, scoring 28 points and making five 3-pointers.
—With all the perimeter scoring ability, coach Billy Donovan returned White, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeRozan and Vucevic to the starting lineup.
—Here’s everything you need to know about the Bulls’ current depth situation, thanks to Torrey Craig getting injured during the All-Star break and Patrick Williams and Zach LaVine joining in street clothes: Julian Phillips was the sixth man.
—The Bulls assisted on 15 of their first 16 field goals and had 29 assists overall. Ayo Dosunmu had six assists by halftime, marking the first time in his career he had more than 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in a first half. Dosunmu had good results with 14 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.
—Speaking of firsts, Vucevic scored 20 points in the first half, which is the first time in his career that he has scored 20 points in the first half. However, Vucevic did not score until midway through the fourth inning (his only point in the second half), finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds in 30 games.th Double double.
“In the second quarter, when I really started to pick up, we were playing at a faster pace and making more shots from the pocket, transition, and screen-and-rolls when the opposing defense wasn’t set up. “I was able to do that,” Vucevic said. “The game slowed down a little bit in the third quarter because they took so many shots and we had to take the ball out of the paint. You took something away. I have to look at it.” I wondered if I could have been more aggressive. But that’s what it was like. ”
—The night gave Donovan a unique opportunity to watch Al Horford, who won back-to-back NCAA championships at Florida in 2006 and 2007.
“I was very happy and lucky to be around him when he was younger. But I think he’s probably still doing the same thing now. He influenced winning. “He has an incredible ability to give and impact the locker room. And one of the things I think everyone would say about him as a teammate is he’s phenomenal.” Donovan said. “He has no personal agenda other than winning.”
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