Despite Jimmy Butler’s career night (36 points), the Chicago Bulls’ losing streak reached three games Wednesday night in Boston.
The Celtics hung on for a 105-100 win against the reeling Bulls.
Boston scored 30 fourth-quarter points to put the game away.
Per the Chicago Tribune:
The Celtics ran away and hid with a 30-point fourth quarter for their 105-100 victory at TD Garden, 12 fewer than the Suns dropped on the Bulls in Monday’s final period but no less painful. […] “There’s no excuse for the way we’re playing,” said Butler, who scored 17 of his career-high 36 points in the fourth.
Butler sat for his brief rest as the Celtics opened the fourth with a 12-2 run that featured the Bulls missing 8 of 9 shots with two turnovers, Derrick Rose missing two free throws and Doug McDermott failing to corral a defensive rebound with nobody around, kicking it out-of-bounds. […] The Celtics scored 25 points off 18 Bulls’ turnovers.
“Sometimes we forget how hard we have to play and guys let up. One guy does it and it’s contagious,” Butler said. “We have to go hard on both ends. We have to learn to guard late in the game. On paper, we’re really good. Really good. But you have to make it happen. We get caught up in the hype and the freedom that we have on offense. We have to learn to get stops and let defense lead the offense.”
