Final, Bulls 109-104: That will do it. The Bulls run out the clock, and the Celtics fall just short.
Overtime 0:24, Bulls 107-103:Â Derrick Rose hasn’t made many shots tonight, but the few he has have come at crucial junctures. His latest bucket gives Chicago a two-possession lead.
End of regulation, 99-99:Â Aaron Brooks’ would-be game-winner rims out, and we are headed to overtime.
Fourth quarter 0:02, 99-99:Â Jared Sullinger puts back a Jeff Green miss, and we are all tied up with two seconds to play.
Fourth quarter 2:14, Bulls 95-93:Â Derrick Rose finally decided to join the party. After a 2-for-11 start, the point guard has hit each of his last two starts to put the Bulls back on top.
Fourth quarter 5:27, Bulls 87-86:Â Evan Turner and Jae Crowder are putting the Celtics on their backs, and it’s keeping Boston in this game.
Turner now is up to a season-high 23 points, and Crowder (10 points in 15 minutes) is playing by far his best game in Celtics green.
Fourth quarter 8:47, Bulls 78-75:Â Five different players have scored for the Bulls here in the fourth to put them back in front.
End of the third quarter, 69-69:Â We are all tied up as we head to the fourth, thanks to a 9-2 Bulls run to end the third. Four of those points were scored by Aaron Brooks, who nearly beat the Celtics by himself when these teams first met back in November.
Third quarter 2:44, Celtics 67-62:Â How about this Celtics offense, huh?
Boston has blown out Chicago 27-13 here in the third, allowing the C’s to not only close the gap but also build up a lead of their own. Turner has been dynamite in this quarter, and he’s now up to 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and four assists on the night.
Third quarter 8:02, Bulls 52-50:Â Just as the Bulls extended their lead to 10 points, the Celtics ripped off an 8-0 run to cut it back to two.
Evan Turner powered the run with six consecutive points, and Jared Sullinger capped it with a two, prompting Tom Thibodeau to use a timeout.
Halftime, Bulls 46-40: Chicago closes the first half on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead into the locker room.
Second quarter 1:47, Bulls 42-40: Pau Gasol already has reached double-double territory (11 points, 12 rebounds) to help put the Bulls back ahead as the first half winds down.
The Bulls have been massacring the Celtics on the boards tonight, holding a 31-22 advantage in rebounds and a 15-4 edge in offensive boards.
Second quarter 8:52, Celtics 29-25:Â Marcus Smart started off the second with four points for the Celtics, two on a 21-foot jumper and two on a nifty floater in the lane.
Also, Brandon Bass has checked in for the first time tonight, leaving Gerald Wallace as the only active Celtic who has not entered the game.
End first quarter, Celtics 23-17:Â A Kelly Olynyk 3-pointer at the buzzer clangs off the rim, and the Celtics will enter the second quarter with a six-point lead.
Both sides settled down in the turnover department — just one apiece since last mention — but the Bulls’ shooting struggles have persisted. Chicago went just 6 of 27 from the floor in the first quarter and 0 of 9 from deep.
First quarter 5:33, Celtics 11-7:Â This has been one sloppy game so far. We’re barely halfway through the first, and the teams have combined for 12 turnovers.
Jeff Green and Avery Bradley have powered the Celtics’ offense so far, scoring five and four points, respectively, in the opening minutes.
The Bulls, who are missing their top scorer in Jimmy Butler, have hit just two of their first 12 shots.
So, yeah. It’s been ugly.
First quarter 11:59, 0-0: Pau Gasol wins the opening tip for the home team, and we’re underway. Â
7:25 p.m.:Â Per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Kirk Hinrich and Nikola Mirotic will start in place of Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy, respectively.
So, here’s what Chicago’s starting five will look like:
Derrick Rose
Kirk Hinrich
Nikola Mirotic
Pau Gasol
Joakim Noah
6:45 p.m. ET: Two bruised and battered basketball teams will take the court Saturday night at Chicago’s United Center.
The Boston Celtics will enter their second game of a back-to-back without the services of guards Marcus Thornton (calf) and Jameer Nelson (sprained ankle) and rookie swingman James Young (D-League assignment).
“Jameer has some soreness in his ankle, so he’s sitting tonight,” head coach Brad Stevens told reporters before the game, via the team’s official Twitter account.
Stevens added that he will employ the same starting five he trotted out in each of the last two games.
The Bulls, meanwhile, will be without a number of bodies, as well.
[tweet https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/551430190317187072 align=’center’]
The Celtics are looking to get back on the winning track after dropping five of their last six contests, including a 119-101 blowout loss to Rajon Rondo’s Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The Bulls have won eight of nine but, as previously mentioned, will have some holes to fill in their starting lineup.
Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau declined to name his starting five during his pregame meeting with reporters, but here is what Boston will counter with:
Celtics
Evan Turner
Avery Bradley
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Tyler Zeller
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Follow along with all the action right here, and follow NESN.com Celtics beat writer Zack Cox on Twitter for instant updates and analysis.
Photo via Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports Images
