The Celtics head into the All-Star break with the second best record in the Eastern Conference, after a 124-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden Wednesday night.
Payton Pritchard had 26 points on 11-of-18 from the field and also had eight assists and five rebounds off the bench, while Jaylen Brown scored 24 points, Jordan Walsh added 16 points and Sam Hauser recorded 12 points in his return from a two-game absence with a thumb injury, to help Boston improve to 35-19 on the season.
Nikola Vučević had his best game as a Celtic against the team that traded him just over a week ago for Anfernee Simons, finishing with a double-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds, to go along with three assists, two blocks and a steal in 26 minutes off the bench -- with a team-best plus/minus of +26.
"I think tonight was a good step forward of where we can get to," Vučević said in his postgame comments. "I felt a lot more comfortable out there, and I think the guys felt more comfortable around me and we're able to build some good chemistry, so it's a good step forward. I'm glad we got the win, so we'll just continue to work on it."
Rob Dillingham had 16 points, seven rebounds, while Matas Buzelis (eight rebounds) and Collin Sexton each netted 15 points respectively for the 24-31 Bulls, who have lost six straight and are 1-9 since their 114-111 win over the Celtics nearly three weeks ago.
Boston took a 72-44 advantage into the break, before holding the Bulls to just 17 third-quarter points while pushing their lead to 33 points (the largest margin of the night).
The Celtics bounced back following their worst shooting display from 3-point range (7-of-41) this year in their Sunday home loss to the Knicks, where they also only scored a season-low 89 points total. Against Chicago, they hit 18-of-45 (40%) from deep and connected on 52% overall from the floor.
For Vučević, it was his second double-double in three games since being acquired from the Bulls, as he continues to get acclimated to his new teammates for the stretch run after the All-Star break.
"Much more comfortable today," Joe Mazzulla said in his postgame presser. "His pick-and-roll positioning defensively was good -- really good. Then offensively, the reads were good -- spacing, understanding where he is, the early offense reads, offensive execution. He just felt much more comfortable out there, so it's always good to get out and practice. He values the details and wants to get it right, so he's put a lot of preparation into it."
The Celtics will head out on a west coast road trip next week, when they face old friends Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and the Golden State Warriors (29-26) next Thursday on February 19. Prime Video has the tip-off at 10:00 pm ET.
Game Notes:
Boston out-rebounded the visiting team 48-34 and outscored them in the paint 52-44. The Celtics dished out 29 dimes on 49 baskets and turned the ball over 14 times, while the Bulls had 25 assists on 46 made shots and committed 13 turnovers.
Joel Pavón
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