BOSTON — The Celtics bought proper again to work coming off a three-day break whereas the NBA Cup completed off in Las Vegas, doing so by taking part in by the workforce’s off-court worries involving Jaylen Brown and assistant coach Amile Jefferson.
Brown and Jefferson have been targets of two separate dwelling invasions, in Wellesley and Newton, Massachusetts, throughout Sunday’s matchup towards the Washington Wizards. State police, in collaboration with the Celtics, have labored to handle and alleviate the incidents as head coach Joe Mazzulla defined.
Boston, nonetheless, failed to beat its opposed stretches, the absence of outside-shooting snipper Sam Hauser, and an off night time from past the arch because the Celtics discovered their method again to the loss column and fell to 21-6 on the season.
Listed here are three studs and three duds from Boston’s 117-108 loss to Chicago:
STUDS
Jayson Tatum
Tatum helped alleviate Boston’s 3-for-16 begin from 3-point vary within the first quarter by scoring 12 factors early to guide the body. The five-time All-Star ended the night time scoring a team-leading 31 factors with 10 rebounds, 4 assists and two steals to notch his thirteenth double-double.
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Zach LaVine
If there’s one particular person to look out for in Chicago it’s LaVine and the Dunk Contest legend himself placed on a present to maintain the Bulls aggressive all through the night time. LaVine ripped a web page proper from Mazzulla’s playbook by taking pictures a formidable 6-for-11 from past the arc, powering the Bulls to maintain Boston on its toes. He logged a game-leading 36 factors with six rebounds and 4 assists.
Payton Pritchard
No reserve within the league has been as efficient as Pritchard this season and that rang true as soon as once more. Pritchard scored 14 factors off the bench whereas additionally grabbing six rebounds and doling out three assists, making the league’s frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Yr award chargeable for practically all of Boston’s bench scoring (16 factors).
DUDS
Boston’s outdoors taking pictures
The Celtics opened up the night time lacking three of their first 4 3-point makes an attempt — badly. Every try barely — or didn’t in any respect — graze the rim, which previewed the larger struggles that quickly later adopted. Boston’s biggest power of out-shooting and out-draining deep-range makes an attempt wasn’t at its disposal because the workforce completed 14-of-56 (25%) — nicely under its season common.
Jaylen Brown and Joe Mazzulla
Boston’s co-star contracted the uncharacteristic taking pictures woes, developing empty on every of his first seven shot makes an attempt from three. Brown completed with 19 factors on 7-of-17 taking pictures from the ground with three rebounds, 4 assists and three turnovers, registering a minus-19 score, which was the worst of anybody who took the ground.
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Brown and Mazzulla have been each charged with back-to-back technical fouls within the fourth quarter, permitting the Bulls to show a one-score recreation right into a contest-sealing rally. Boston’s response was fierce, however too messy to scrub up for the (many) slip-ups.
