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Sweet Home vs Chicago

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Boston 113, Chicago 101

When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, January 13, 2020
Where: TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 19,156
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

BOSTON – Jayson Tatum scored 21 points and Jaylen Brown chipped in 19 to lead the host Boston Celtics past the Chicago Bulls 113-101 on Monday night.

Bulls at Celtics (NBA/Youtube)

Boston earned its second straight victory following a three-game losing streak. Chicago sputtered to its seventh loss in eight games despite a game-high 30 points from Zach LaVine.

Enes Kanter (15 points), Kemba Walker (14), Marcus Smart (12) and Grant Williams (11) followed in double figures for the Celtics, who shot 47 percent compared to 45.7 percent for the Bulls. Kanter grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Boston led by as many as 18 and held its ground after the Bulls slashed the deficit to 75-69 on a LaVine trey with 1:42 to go in the third quarter. The Celtics scored eight of the next 10 points to close the quarter and begin to pull away.

Thaddeus Young scored 17 points for Chicago, while Tomas Satoransky (12) and Daniel Gafford (10) also produced double-figure totals.

A sluggish start ultimately caught up to Chicago, which scored just 14 points in the first quarter, its lowest-scoring opening quarter of the season. The Bulls had five field goals and four turnovers in the first 12 minutes while allowing Boston to convert a three-point play off a tip-in from a missed free throw.

Boston shot 52.5 percent (21-for-40) in the first half to take a 55-37 lead into the break. Kanter led the way with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds. Young had nine first-half points and LaVine had eight to pace Chicago, which shot 34.2 percent and was 1-for-13 from long range before intermission.

Strong ball movement boosted the Celtics throughout the first 24 minutes. The Celtics had 14 assists on 21 made field goals while committing just five turnovers.

Kanter started in place of Daniel Theis, who was sidelined due to right knee soreness. Williams sustained a sore left shoulder late in the second quarter but was available to return.

Chicago fell to 1-16 this season against foes with records of .500 or better, including 0-2 against the Celtics, who edged the Bulls by seven points at United Center on Jan. 4.

–Field Level Media

Bullies in Town

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Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics

When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, January 13, 2020
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics responded to their longest losing streak of the season with authority last time out and look to build off that performance when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls tonight. The Celtics lost three straight contests, the last two by a combined 26 points, before Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 41 to lead the way in a 140-105 demolition of road-weary New Orleans on Saturday.

Tatum was Hot (ESPN/Youtube)

“Shots were going in. It felt good. I felt like we played with a purpose (Saturday) on both ends, from the beginning of the game,” Tatum told reporters after Boston sprinted to a 17-point lead after one quarter Saturday. “I felt like we did our job. I know we haven’t been playing well lately. It felt good to start the game off right.”

The Celtics have won six of the last seven meetings with the Bulls after Tatum scored 28 points to lead the way in a 111-104 triumph on Jan. 4 that preceded losses to Washington, San Antonio and Philadelphia. Chicago was in the middle of a six-game losing streak when it fell to Boston at home a little more than a week ago, and finally snapped the slide Saturday with a 108-99 victory at Detroit as five players reached double figures.

“We’ve had success,” Bulls leading scorer Zach LaVine told the Chicago Tribune. “We’ve just got to hold onto leads and not have those scoring (droughts) that we have. We’ve played with some of the best teams. We’ve seen that. We’ve give up fourth quarter leads. I think we’ve just got to continue to play our game and learn how to close out games and get the win in the end.”

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Chicago, NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE BULLS (14-26): LaVine got some help Saturday as he was limited to 25 points, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range, but he is still averaging 30.2 with a total of 20 shots made from behind the arc this month. LaVine leads the team in scoring (24.4) with forward Lauri Markkanen (15.3) second while Wendell Carter Jr. adds 11.7 points and a team-high 9.9 rebounds, but the 6-9 center is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with an ankle injury. Luke Kornet, a 7-2 forward, had a season-high 15 points and 6-10 Daniel Gafford chipped in with 14, after managing two in 43 minutes combined the previous two games, to fill in for Carter on Saturday.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (26-11): Tatum has scored in double figures for 28 straight games and averages 21.3 points – second on the team behind only Kemba Walker (21.9, team-high 5.2 assists), who scored 17 and added seven assists versus New Orleans. Guard Jaylen Brown averages 19.9 points, but has struggled with his shooting the past four games while connecting on just 18-for-63 from the field – 7-for-24 from 3-point range. Center Enes Kanter stepped up to produce season highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds against New Orleans after scoring just 14 combined in the previous three contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

  1. LaVine dropped in 35 points, draining 5-of-9 from behind the arc, in the loss to Boston earlier this month.
  2. Boston SF Gordon Hayward was 8-of-11 from the field Saturday against New Orleans and is shooting 52.6 percent from the field overall.
  3. Chicago PG Kris Dunn entered Sunday ranked second in the league with 2.03 steals per contest, including three against Boston on Jan. 4.

PREDICTION: Celtics 114, Bulls 102

Garden Mardi Gras

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Boston Celtics 140, New Orleans 105

When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 11, 2020
Where: TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 19,156
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

BOSTON – Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 41 points in three quarters of play as the Boston Celtics crushed the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 140-105 on Saturday night.

New Orleans at Boston (NBA/Youtube)

Tatum shot 16 of 22 from the field with a career-best six 3-pointers as the Celtics snapped a season-long three-game losing streak. Enes Kanter added season highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Frank Jackson had a team-high 22 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who lost for just the third time in their last 10 games. Rookie Jaxson Hayes scored a career-high 20 points, and Lonzo Ball (10 points, 13 rebounds) fell an assist shy of a triple-double.

The Celtics had 14 steals compared to four for the Pelicans. New Orleans was outscored 74-42 in the paint.

The Celtics used a 19-3 run on their way to their first double-digit lead, 30-18, on a Gordon Hayward three-point play with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter. Boston led 41-24 after one, its most points scored in a quarter this season.

The Celtics grabbed their first 20-point advantage early in the second quarter and took their largest lead of the half at 57-35 on a Tatum 3-pointer with 7:42 to go. New Orleans got within 14, 64-50, with 3:02 left, but Tatum answered with a pair of 3s as Boston led 72-57 at the break.

Tatum led all scorers with 22 points — 11 apiece in the first and second quarter. Jackson paced the Pelicans with 14.

The Celtics began the third with a 21-9 surge and led 93-66 at the midway point of the quarter. Tatum eclipsed 30 points on the night with a layup with 4:37 left in the quarter, and he followed with a 3 as Boston grabbed its first 30-point lead, 101-71.

Tatum drained his sixth trey less than a minute later, and he surpassed his previous career high of 39 points on a bucket in the paint with 1:04 to go as the Celtics carried a 114-82 lead into the fourth quarter. Tatum sat out the final 12 minutes.

–Field Level Media

Sixers Have Celts Number

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Philadelphia 76ers 109, Boston Celtics 98

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 9, 2020
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials: #62 JB DeRosa, #5 Kane Fitzgerald, #33 Sean Corbin
Attendance: 20,822
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

PHILADELPHIA – Josh Richardson scored 29 points, Ben Simmons added 19 points and nine rebounds and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 109-98 on Thursday.

Boston at Philly (House of Highlights/Youtube)

Al Horford contributed 17 points, and Tobias Harris had 16 for the Sixers, who played without All-Star center Joel Embiid. Earlier in the day, it was announced that Embiid will have surgery Friday for a torn ligament on the fourth metacarpal on his left hand and be reevaluated in one to two weeks. The Sixers improved to 18-2 at home.

The Celtics were led by Kemba Walker with 26 points. Marcus Smart added 24 and Jayson Tatum had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Boston has dropped three in a row for the first time this season.

The Celtics bolted to a 51-36 lead with 5:05 left until halftime, before the Sixers responded with a 12-0 run to get within three. But Boston finished the half with consecutive baskets and took a 55-48 lead into the locker room.

Smart and Walker scored 13 points apiece for the Celtics before the break. Richardson paced the Sixers with 15 points in 15 first-half minutes.

After a quick basket by Boston to open the third, the Sixers came back with an 11-0 spurt to move ahead 59-57. Harris’ hard-charging drive to the basket capped the run and caused Celtics head coach Brad Stevens to take a timeout.

After the Sixers took a six-point lead, Tatum and Walker each hit a 3-pointer, and the game was tied at 69 with 4:49 remaining in the third.

The Celtics held an 80-77 advantage after three quarters, as Smart knocked down a deep trey from the wing with 4.2 seconds left.

Philadelphia regained the momentum and pushed ahead 94-87 with 6:02 to go when Horford completed a three-point play.

Simmons missed a dunk on the Sixers’ next possession, and Walker came back with a three-point play. Gordon Hayward then scored the next time down, and the Celtics got within 94-92 with 5:15 remaining.

After a hard foul by Smart, Richardson made two free throws for a 101-94 Philadelphia advantage with 3:08 left. On Philly’s next possession, the lefty Simmons dropped in a right-handed hook for a nine-point lead.

–Field Level Media

Embiid Out as Cs Visit Philly

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Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 9, 2020
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

Embiid vs Boston Celtics (ESPN/Youtube)

PHILADELPHIA – Star center Joel Embiid will be on the sidelines when the Philadelphia 76ers host the rival Boston Celtics tonight. Embiid dislocated his left ring finger during Monday’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder with the digit pointing in a grotesque direction at one point before he returned to the game.

The 76ers are still waiting to receive a timetable of how long Embiid will be sidelined but he didn’t regret his return to the court and helping the squad snap a four-game losing streak. “It was pretty bad,” Embiid told reporters. “I basically could only play with one hand. It was really bad. But in the midst of the losing streak, I just wanted to make sure that I do everything possible to get us a win, and I was glad to get us a win.”

Embiid was diagnosed today and will need surgery to correct torn ligaments in his hand. He will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks.

Philadelphia is 2-0 this season against the Celtics, who have lost two consecutive games after falling 129-114 to the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Boston never led in the contest, trailed by as many as 23 and allowed its second most points of the season.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: TNT, NBCS Philadelphia, TSN5

ABOUT THE CELTICS (25-10): Star guard Kemba Walker returned from a three-game absence due to illness but played just 18 minutes – scoring only six points – as he was ejected in the third quarter after contesting a no-call when a hard screen by San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge sent him flying to the floor. “The ref missed the call and I just voiced my opinion a little bit and the rest was history,” Walker told reporters afterward. “First time I’ve ever been ejected in my whole life … I am a two-time sportsmanship award winner as well. So maybe I should get a little leeway.” Small forward Gordon Hayward scored a team-best 18 points versus the Spurs and knocked down a season-best four 3-pointers.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (24-14): Veteran power forward Al Horford, who spent the past three seasons with Boston, figures to receive more of a role with Embiid out and he tallied 13 points against the Thunder after scoring seven or fewer in each of the previous four games. “You say ‘What does the world look like without Joel?’ and my mind immediately goes to defense,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters. “You can talk about Al and what role is he in now, maybe there’s a line drawn through both of those for a period of time, but I’m looking forward to seeing him play against his old team (Thursday).” Horford, who is in his 13th season, is shooting a career-worst 45.3 percent from the field while averaging 12.3 points, which would be his lowest mark since the 2008-09 campaign.

BUZZER BEATERS

  1. The 76ers have won the past three regular-season meetings after the Celtics won 17 of the previous 19.
  2. Boston PF Jayson Tatum is averaging 15.5 points while making 13-of-36 shots over the past two games after scoring 24 or more in six of the previous nine contests.
  3. Philadelphia had 31 assists against Oklahoma City and is 9-1 this season when recording 30 or more.

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