Lhe Boston Celtics performed this Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago and defeated the Bulls 117-94, in an NBA game attended by former United States President Barack Obama.
It was midway through the third quarter when hundreds of fans in the East Stand of the United Center turned around to take photos of one of the boxes, and minutes later, the Chicago arena’s public address system welcomed Obama, who had never hid his passion for the Bulls, applauded by the spectators.
But on the court the Celtics completely dominated, led by Jaylen Brown’s 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists, supported by Al Horford’s double-double of 17 points and ten rebounds.
Jayson Tatum brushed the triple double, with 16 points, ten rebounds and eight assists for a Celtics that still have options to catch up with the Miami Heat in command of the Eastern Conference.
They celebrated their 50th win of the regular season, their third in a row, and are second, two games behind the Heat with two games to play.
The Bulls, already sure of their ticket to the playoffs, are sixth in the East (45-35), unattainable for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will play the play-in.
It was dominance from start to finish by the Celtics, who took a 13-point lead after the first period (32-19), pushed by eight points from Jaylen Brown and seven from German Daniel Theis and Al Horford.
The Celtics played as a team and four players were already over ten points at halftime. An excellent Theis contributed thirteen points, while Jayson Tatum, Brown and Horford had eleven.
Boston won 67-51 at halftime against the Bulls in which DeMar DeRozan was the only one capable of shining, with fifteen points, after the 40 scored this Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bulls paid their lousy percentages in triples, with just a three of eleven in the first half for nine of 18 of a Celtics on a roll.
And the break did not change the script of a game in which the Celtics came out to bite from start to finish.
His advantage increased to 26 points in the third period, at the pace of Jaylen Brown, who scored ten points in nine and a half minutes on the track and sealed the match.
The Celtics reached a maximum advantage of 27 points at 102-75, when Theis scored two free throws with 7 minutes remaining, and his team was able to limit himself to manage without disheveled in the last stretch, when the United Center was already emptying. of red t-shirts.
Both the Bulls and Celtics ended up playing off the bench, with the Celtics already well on their way to a 117-94 win.
The Celtics will compete again this Thursday in their visit to the Milwaukee Bucks while the Bulls will play this Friday against the Charlotte Hornets.
It will be their last home game of the regular season, before visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves.
