Overview
- Anfernee Simons led Boston with 27 points, drilling eight three-pointers to pace a balanced offense.
- The Celtics overwhelmed Chicago on the glass, posting 14 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points by halftime, finishing with 20 and 26, respectively.
- Chicago played without Jalen Smith, Josh Giddey and Zach Collins, stumbled to 14 first-quarter points and produced only 33 by halftime.
- The Bulls scored 68 after the break and cut the deficit to 11 with 4:14 left, but never brought the margin to single digits.
- Joe Mazzulla acknowledged his team looked tired yet lauded its competitiveness and defense as Boston improved to 23-12 and second in the East, winning eight of its last nine.