The Boston Celtics collapsed down the stretch against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night at TD Garden, and it ultimately led to a tough-to-swallow 128-114 defeat.
The loss drops Boston to 2-5 and 0-3 at home. The Bulls, meanwhile, are 6-1 and perfect in three games on the road.
You can view the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Monday night undoubtedly was one of the biggest collapses the Celtics will suffer this season… well, hopefully. Boston was out-scored 39-11 in the fourth quarter after holding an 18-point lead with less than six minutes left in the third.
They took a 103-89 lead into the fourth quarter before the Bulls regained their lead with what was, at one point, a 17-2 scoring run. Chicago needed just five fourth-quarter minutes to take the lead, and led for the final 5:15 of regulation.
Boston converted on 51% of its field goals (37-for-72) and 60% of long-range attempts (15-for-25) through three quarters with six turnovers. And then things changed drastically. Boston shot 4-for-24 in the fourth including 0-for-8 from the 3-point line while turning the ball over three times. Their offensive struggles then made the way to the defense to the tune of 39 points allowed in 12 minutes.
Until the Celtics can put together a complete game on both sides of the ball, expect more of the same disappointment moving forward.
STARS OF THE GAME
— DeMar DeRozan was singlehandedly prepared to put the Celtics out of this one alone. He was dominant with 11 points in the first quarter and didn’t really slow down in the second, logging 21 points by the break. He finished with 37 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
— Jaylen Brown carried the Celtics with 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
— Al Horford logged a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum also scored 20 points.
WAGER WATCH
At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bulls were +125 underdogs entering TD Garden on Wednesday, so a $100 bet on the visitors would have made bettors $125. Plus, Chicago ended up doing way more than covering the spread (+3), which had -115 odds (bet $115 to win $100).
And with an over/under set at 215.5, Boston continued its trend of hitting the over — as it did in its past two losses.
Well, if the Celtics’ inconsistencies have made it less than safe to place a wager on the moneyline, you can at least feel comfortable in their scoring abilities (and their ability to let the other team hang them up, too.)
UP NEXT
The Celtics are headed to Florida for the first of a four-game road trip. Things get going Wednesday in Orlando with a 7 p.m. ET tip against the Magic.
