The Chicago Bulls will tip off a three-game road trip against the defending champs later tonight. This will be their fourth matchup against the Celtics this season, and they shockingly have a chance to even up the season series.
While the Bulls lost pretty handily on Nov. 11 and Dec. 21, they managed to pull off a 117-108 victory at TD Garden on Dec. 19. Zach LaVine did a majority of the heavy lifting, dropping 36 points on 11-19 shooting from the field. Unfortunately for the Bulls, they will need someone else to step up this time around. LaVine has been ruled out due to personal reasons, and the expectation is that he will miss at least a couple of games.
Brought the pinstripes to Boston ⚫️?⏰: 6:30 pm CT ?: t.co/dLgvAjeEdl ?: @670TheScore@AmericanExpress | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/lwjWvjPVHg
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 29, 2025 The Chicago Bulls deserve some credit for holding the Celtics to only 39.2 percent shooting from the field in their one victory this season. From what I recall, this was one of their more active and physical defensive performances of the year. Nonetheless, there is no denying they benefited from an off-shooting night. Nobody in the league connects from downtown better than the Celtics. Not only do they shoot BY FAR the most three-point attempts per game (48.7), but they also make a league-high 17.7 a night. They have six players this season who average at least 2.0 makes from behind the arc per game. The Bulls have two (and one is LaVine). Still, Chicago is one of the few teams who have shown this season that they are willing to keep up with Boston’s shot-chucking style. The Bulls still sit second in three-point attempts per game and actually hold a better success rate this season. Their 37.2 percent clip is the ninth-highest in the NBA, while the Celtics rank 13th at 36.4 percent. The Bulls are also fresh off a historic shooting night for the franchise, going 25-53 from long range in an upset of the Denver Nuggets. Now, does any of this mean I expect this game to be close? Not really, especially with LaVine not on the floor. But we all know it would be the most Bulls thing ever to keep this one close. Also, for what it’s worth, the Celtics haven’t necessarily been playing their best basketball as of late. They are 5-5 in their last 10 with only a 114.0 offensive rating (14th). Whether it be a loss to the Raptors or Hawks, this team has shown some holes over the last couple of weeks. © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Can Patrick Williams build on what we saw against the Nuggets? After being benched by Billy Donovan, he was a legitimate difference-maker in the second unit. The Bulls’ bench took full advantage of the minutes Nikola Jokic was off the floor, outscoring the Nuggets’ bench a staggering 41-10. We got to see Williams initiate a lot more offense and provide a much more physical presence on the glass. I know 11 points and 8 rebounds may not feel like anything special, but the performance was significantly better than anything he had shown over the last month. Let’s hope the fire stays lit. I joined Ryen Russillo in letting out a hardy chuckle while listening to this snippet from The Bill Simmons podcast. The long-time NBA personality and analyst made a case for Chicago pushing for the postseason, stressing that he likes a lot of their assets. Let’s hope Jerry Reinsdorf isn’t an avid listener of The Ringer!Simmons says the Bulls should stay the course. pic.twitter.com/MCDEpIu8SH
— Taco Trey Kerby (@treykerby) January 29, 2025 Chris Haynes broke some pretty big Eastern Conference news this morning. The Atlanta Hawks will move forward this season without breakout forward Jalen Johnson. The 23-year-old has reportedly suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder after averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Over his 36 performances this season, Johnson had shown that he was becoming one of the league’s top two-way wings. Atlanta currently sits 22-25 on the season and 9th in the Eastern Conference. So how will the Hawks approach the rest of the season? Well, they have absolutely zero reason to tank. Their 2025 first-round pick belongs to the San Antonio Spurs thanks to the Dejounte Murray trade with zero protections. Nevertheless, there is no saying how tough life without Johnson could prove to be. They are only 2.0 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls for the No. 9 seed and 3.0 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. Slipping further down the standings isn’t out of the question. Of course, this will be something the Bulls will watch closely. The last thing Chicago wants is for any team to fall below them over the last few months of the season. If anything, they are hoping to see a team like Philly bump them out of the Play-In and further down the totem pole to bolster their lottery odds. The good news is Atlanta has zero reason to let themselves stumble out of the Play-In picture, so let’s hope they work hard enough to ensure that doesn’t happen. Patrick keeps his exit interviews going at BN Bears with a closer look at Jaylen Johnson’s season. Tab thinks it’s time to discuss the Blackhawks’ current goaltending situation.ELSEWHERE AT BN: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
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Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( A Shootout with Boston, Can Patrick Williams Keep It Up? Big Injury News in the East, and Other Bulls Bullets )
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