Something about playing in the United Center just kicks Evan Turner into a different gear.
The two best games of the Boston Celtics guard’s season have come in his hometown. The first was enough to help lead the Celtics to a Nov. 8 victory over the Chicago Bulls. The second — a 29-point, six-assist, five-rebound performance Saturday night — fell just short.
Turner’s effort, which included season highs in points, field goals (12 of 22) and 3-pointers (4 of 5), allowed the Celtics to keep pace through four quarters and an overtime session, but Chicago ultimately pulled away for a 109-104 win despite not having the services of leading scorer Jimmy Butler.
Turner did almost all of his damage in the second half after an underwhelming first 24 minutes. He entered the break with five points, three turnovers and one assist, only to explode for 23 points, five assists and four rebounds over the final two frames.
Boston scored 29 points in the third quarter and 30 in the fourth but managed just five in the five-minute extra session. Turner and Pau Gasol led their respective teams with 29 points apiece, while Gasol also pulled down 16 rebounds and Jared Sullinger finished with 16 and 16.
— Derrick Rose’s game as a whole was one he’d like to forget (5-of-18 shooting, one assist, four turnovers), but the All-Star point guard did come through when it mattered. Rose scored on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter to help force overtime, then sank another bucket in the extra frame to give the Bulls a two-possession lead they didn’t relinquish.
— Just as he did in the teams’ November matchup, Aaron Brooks torched the Celtics down the stretch, with 13 of his 19 points coming in the second half.
— The Celtics were absolutely brutalized on the boards for the second consecutive game, particularly in the offensive rebounding department. How bad was it? Jared Sullinger had eight offensive boards. The rest of the Celtics combined for just two. The Bulls, meanwhile, pulled down 24 offensive rebounds and 59 overall, buoyed by Gasol’s 16 boards and Joakim Noah’s 12.
—Â Chicago also held a massive advantage in free throws, getting to the line 40Â times to Boston’s 11. Again, it was Gasol who took advantage of this disparity, as the big man scored 10 of his points on foul shots.
— And finally, turnovers. Boston gave the ball away 22 times in the game, resulting in 20 Chicago points.
— Brad Stevens has raved about Jae Crowder’s physicality since acquiring the forward from Dallas, but until Saturday, Crowder’s contributions mostly had been of the intangible variety. That was not the case against the Bulls, as Crowder teamed with Turner to power the Celtics’ third-quarter surge. He ultimately finished with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 15 minutes off the bench.
— Stevens employed a seriously deep rotation, with 11 different players logging double-digit minutes in regulation. Gerald Wallace was the only active Celtic who did not see action.
— Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: James Young had another excellent D-League game for the Maine Red Claws. The Celtics rookie had 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting (including 5 of 9 from three) Friday in a 137-130 win over the Delaware 87ers.
Thumbnail photo via Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports Images
