Here's what you need to know before the Chicago Bulls play at the Boston Celtics
The Chicago Bulls (24-30) arrive at TD Garden tonight searching for an identity since the trade deadline. While it is natural to expect a period of rotation pondering after a major roster shake-up, the Bulls’ recent performance has shifted from experimental to alarming. Following a 123-115 loss to a lower-tier Brooklyn Nets squad on Monday, Chicago has now dropped four consecutive road games and five of their last six overall.
The new-look Bulls have certainly found sparks from their newcomers such as Collin Sexton, Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons and Rob Dillingham, but the roster’s glaring deficiencies are becoming impossible to ignore. The departure of Nikola Vucevic has left a crater in the middle that neither Guerschon Yabusele nor Nick Richards can realistically fill. While Vucevic was often criticized for a lack of defense, he provided elite post-scoring and rebounding gravity that stabilized the offense.
Now, the Bulls find themselves in a precarious position as they are small, vulnerable, and currently have no active player standing taller than 6-foot-9. While lacking size, the Bulls are conceding 120.6 points per game (27th in the NBA), drawing concerns against a Boston team that has a decent amount of interior gravity, which ranks ninth in defensive rating.
While folks would say the Bulls have the advantage in speed, they appear to be doubling down on a fast-paced, transition-heavy identity slightly because they aren't the fastest team anymore, having slipped to 5th in the league in pace.
Currently sitting in 11th place and drifting further away from the Play-In race, the Bulls are at a crossroads. Are they built to win, or are they effectively "getting away" from a rebuild while still piling up losses? We will see how it goes tonight at TD Garden.
How to Watch
Chicago Bulls (24-30) vs. Boston Celtics (34-19)
Location: TD Garden | Boston, MA
Tipoff: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), NBC Sports Boston | Announcers: Adam Amin, Stacey King
Radio: WSCR AM 670 | Announcers: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington
Betting Odds (FanDuel)
Betting Line: Celtics -13.5
Moneyline: Celtics -699, Bulls +500
Over/Under: 225.5
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Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
- Josh Giddey: Doubtful (Left Hamstring)
- Tre Jones: Doubtful (Left Hamstring)
- Isaac Okoro: Questionable (Knee Soreness)
- Jalen Smith: Doubtful (Right Calf Strain)
- Zach Collins: Out (Right Big Toe)
- Noa Essengue: Out for Season (Left Shoulder)
- Yuki Kawamura / Mac McClung: Out (G League/Two-Way)
Boston Celtics
- Jayson Tatum: Out (Right Achilles Repair)
- Sam Hauser: Probable (Low Back Spasms)
- Neemias Queta: Probable (Right Ankle Sprain)
Last Game Starters
Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets (Feb. 9)
- G Anfernee Simons
- G Jaden Ivey
- F Isaac Okoro
- F Matas Buzelis
- C Guerschon Yabusele
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (Feb. 8)
- G Derrick White
- G Jaylen Brown
- F Baylor Scheierman
- F Luke Garza
- C Neemias Queta