Chicago Bulls (5-13) at Boston Celtics (13-4) Game #18 11/28/23

Chicago Bulls (5-13) at Boston Celtics (13-4)
Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Game #18, Home Game #8, In-Season Tournament Group Stage Game #4
TV: NBCSB, TSN, NBA-LP
Radio: Rock 92.9, Sirius XM, Sportsnet 590
TD Garden

Before boring you with advanced calculus or oversimplifying with the Charlie-Kelly-Pepe-Silvia It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia meme, here’s Sean Grande, the radio play-by-play voice of the Celtics, on what’s at stake in tonight’s In-Season Tournament game:

Celtics-wise, making the quarters is unlikely. But it feels like they have a slightly better chance to win Group C, than get the wild-card.

Boston wins Group C if...

** They beat Chicago by 23 or more AND...
** Brooklyn beats Toronto by 8 points less than Boston beats Chicago.

— Sean Grande November 25, 2023 If you read the entire X thread, there’s further explanation on how the Celtics could make the IST playoffs as the Eastern Conference wildcard, but that’s as likely as the league using the same problematic eye sore, slippery courts or point differentials as a determining factor next season. Former CelticsBlogger and Spotrac’s Keith Smith has a good recap here .

To summarize recent Chicago press clippings, the players and coaches are all more or less saying the same thing: they have a talented group, they’re frustrated with losing, but it’s early and there’s a chance that they can put it together for a playoff run. It’s hard to argue with that enthusiasm. They still have the dynamic scoring duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. They’re both 20-plus point scorers that get to the free throw line regularly. Nikola Vucevic is still a more than serviceable big man. Alex Caruso still does Alex Caruso things (but is questionable tonight with a toe injury). Unfortunately, it’s been a continuum of complacency for the 5-13 Bulls who have lost seven of their eight games including three straight on the road.

Coby White | Derrick White
DeMar DeRozan | Dalano Banton
Zach LaVine | Jaylen Brown
Patrick Williams | Jayson Tatum
Nikola Vučević | Al Horford

BENCH ROTATION
Ayo Dosunmu | Payton Pritchard
Torrey Craig | Sam Hauser
Andre Drummond | Luke Kornet
Jevon Carter | Neemias Queta

But let’s not forget that this is a Bulls team that has given the Celtics trouble before. Last season, they split the series 2-2, including an early tilt in Chicago that went from a 19-point first quarter lead to a 120-102 blowout in a flash. Case in point, against the Nets on Sunday, they outscored Brooklyn 36-19 in the first quarter; in the second and third, they scored just 47 to the Nets’ 77 en route to another loss. However, despite fielding the fifth worse offense and the tenth worse defense, they’ve played Boston tough and a seemingly meaningless game on an idle Tuesday in late November is the perfect venue for an upset.

Kristaps Porzingis will miss his second straight game with a left calf strain, Jrue Holiday is questionable with an ankle sprain he suffered against the Bucks last week, and Derrick White is probably with a non-COVID illness. And while Chicago doesn’t exactly fit the profile of a team that has given the Celtics trouble this season — tough, physical top-3 defenses like Minnesota or Orlando — they’re equally as combustible and as easily looked over as the Hornets.

Boston is coming off a get-well 113-103 win over the Hawks on Sunday. Jaylen Brown scored early, Jayson Tatum scored late, and Al Horford and Derrick White were solid throughout. However, there’s a trap game vibe to this one. There’s a lengthy layoff with the Celtics’ next game not until Friday night with the 76ers vising TD Garden for their third time already this season and who knows if the team is motivated by the NBA Cup or the $500,000 per player purse that comes with it.

If you’re looking to go to the game tonight at TD Garden, check out our friends at Events Ticket Center for all your ticketing needs.