After battling back and forth all night, Boston watched a late defensive breakdown turn into a dagger three from Chicago in the closing seconds, sealing a 114-111 loss that stung even more because of how hard they fought to stay in it. The Celtics got a monster performance from Jaylen Brown, who looked aggressive from the opening tip, but the Bulls simply made more timely shots when it mattered most.
Boston actually took care of the ball, defended with energy, and got solid contributions from the bench. But the Bulls‘ hot shooting from deep and a handful of late possessions swung the outcome, sending the Celtics home frustrated after letting a winnable game slip away.
Jaylen Brown Did Everything He Could
Brown was in attack mode all night, finishing with 33 points on 14-28 shooting while logging 37 minutes. He added 8 rebounds and 5 assists, showing patience when double teams came and power when defenders tried to guard him one-on-one. Even though his three-point shot wasn’t falling consistently (2-8 from deep), he made up for it by living in the midrange and finishing through contact.
What made his night more impressive was the defensive effort layered on top. Brown chipped in a steal and a block, stayed active off the ball, and carried a heavy offensive load without forcing the action, just two turnovers despite constant pressure. Unfortunately for Boston, his -13 plus-minus reflects how the Bulls’ shooting barrage erased much of the good he produced while he was on the floor.
Chicago’s Three-Point Shooting Flipped The Game
The biggest difference in the box score sits right behind the arc. The Bulls caught fire from deep, hitting 21-45 threes (47%), while Boston finished 15-47 (32%). That’s an 18-point swing from long range, and in a three-point loss, that math tells the whole story.
Coby White led the perimeter charge with 22 points and 5 made threes, while Matas Buzelis knocked down 4-10 from deep as part of his 14-point, 8-rebound night. Even Nikola Vucevic, who did most of his damage inside, stepped out to hit both of his three-point attempts. Boston’s defense wasn’t terrible, Chicago just hit tough, contested shots, especially late in the clock.
Celtics Won The Turnover Battle But Couldn’t Cash In Enough
Both teams managed the turnovers well with Boston committing 6 and Chicago 15. With that many turnovers, teams typically get the win, so Boston was doing a good job staying in the game by converting the turnovers to 18 points, keeping the game close.
But that advantage didn’t translate to Boston because Chicago was much more efficient. For the game, the Bulls shot 51 percent, and Boston shot 44 percent, needing 99 attempts to get their 111 points. The Celtics did a poor job converting their extra turnover possessions into points. In the fourth quarter, there were multiple key possessions where, with a single clean look, a score could have changed everything.
Bench Scoring Kept Boston Alive
The tight score of the game was, at least in part, due to Boston’s second unit. In particular, Anfernee Simons flashed his offensive talent, scoring 21 points in 28 minutes and shooting 8-6, including 5-11 from three. Simons also had five assists and two steals, providing the Celtics with important pace and shot-creation when the starters needed to rest.
The frontcourt bench was also active in the hustle areas. In 24 minutes, Neemias Queta had a robust 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block. Jordan Walsh also played well, scoring 7 points on good shooting and finishing the game at +8, one of the better marks on the team. Boston’s bench moved the momentum in their favor multiple times during the game, but all of that was immediately erased by Chicago’s closing shot.
