On Friday, a last-second 3-pointer from the left nook helped elevate the Celtics to a dramatic win in Brooklyn.
One night time later, a shot from the identical spot handed them a loss in Chicago.
Bulls wing Kevin Huerter’s nook three with 0.2 seconds remaining buried a drained Boston squad in a 114-111 victory on the United Heart. It was the final of 21 made treys within the sport for Chicago, which shot 47% from past the arc.
Jaylen Brown, who confirmed no indicators of fatigue after playing 46 minutes in the double-overtime win over the Nets, tied the sport with a coast-to-coast layup with 14.5 seconds to play. However the Celtics’ protection, after holding Chicago scoreless for the earlier three-plus minutes, cracked on the following possession, granting Huerter an open look.
Brown totaled a game-high 33 factors, eight rebounds and 5 assists in 37 minutes. Anfernee Simons scored 21 factors off the bench on 8-of-16 capturing and added two steals. Derrick White, who sat out Friday’s sport for relaxation functions, completed with 15-7-7 however couldn’t shake his monthlong capturing droop, going 5-for-18 from the sphere and 3-for-11 from three.
Boston shot 32% from deep as a group, with Simons accounting for one-third of their 15 made threes.
After taking part in six of their final seven on the street, the 28-14 Celtics will open a four-game homestand Monday night time towards the Portland Path Blazers. Will probably be the primary sport again at TD Backyard for 2024 champion Jrue Vacation. Kristaps Porzingis, now with the Atlanta Hawks, is scheduled to make his return to Causeway Avenue on Wednesday.
The Celtics trotted out a brand new beginning lineup, giving Amari Williams the nod for the primary time in his profession. Ordinary beginning heart Neemias Queta was lively after being listed as possible with an sickness, however head coach Joe Mazzulla rolled with the rookie, whose clutch performs in extra time Friday night time helped Boston put away the Nets. Williams was the twelfth totally different Celtic to start out a sport this season.
Luka Garza was Boston’s first frontcourt sub, suggesting the group might need been hoping to provide Queta an evening off. However Garza tweaked his ankle shortly after checking in, and Queta changed him.
Garza later returned, and the Celtics resumed their commonplace heart rotation for the rest of the primary half, biking between him and Queta.
Boston led 58-52 at halftime thanks to twenty factors from Brown on 8-of-14 capturing. Simons scored 12 earlier than halftime, and Jordan Walsh helped gas a second-quarter push by hitting a nook three and turning a pinpoint Derrick White outlet go into an open dunk.
The Celtics shot simply 29% from 3-point vary within the first half (7-for-24) however benefited from higher ball safety. They swiped six first-half steals — together with two by Queta in transition — to Chicago’s zero and owned an 8-0 edge in factors off turnovers.
The Bulls then opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run towards a sluggish Celtics protection, efficiently concentrating on Queta on three straight possessions. Coby White and Isaac Okoro mixed for twenty-four third-quarter factors for Chicago because the hosts constructed an eight-point lead.
Simons erased that deficit with two 3-pointers, sandwiched round a second-chance Williams dunk, as a part of an 8-0 Celtics run that tied it at 88-88 early within the fourth quarter.
White then took the controls of Boston’s offense, even in one other subpar capturing night time. The veteran guard hit two fourth-quarter threes, drew a capturing foul and scored or assisted on six consecutive Celtics discipline targets.
These stored the Celtics inside hanging distance amid a deluge of 3-pointers from the hot-shooting Bulls, who made their first six of the ultimate quarter. When Chicago lastly cooled, Boston capitalized, pulling even within the remaining minute on Brown’s fast-break layup.
That’s when Huerter shut the door on the Celtics, profitable the sport with a shot harking back to the one Hugo Gonzalez hit to pressure a second extra time 24 hours earlier.
The Celtics now can have one night time to relaxation earlier than going through the Path Blazers again in Boston. That temporary respite must be particularly useful for Brown, who posted the next stats throughout his group’s two-city back-to-back: 60 factors, 18 rebounds, 17 assists, 4 turnovers and 83 minutes performed — essentially the most he’s logged in consecutive regular-season video games since March 2023.
