The Chicago Bulls lacked fire and identity, struggling offensively and defensively. A late surge wasn't enough to overcome the Celtics' sustained dominance.
Despite playing without key pieces, injury might not be an excuse for losing games. The issue was a lack of fire and a still-seeking identity.
As players remained misfiring and were dominated for most of the game, the Chicago Bulls were defeated by the Boston Celtics 115-101, dropping their second game in a row after a loss to Charlotte on Saturday.
Matas Buzelis led the way with a team-high 26 points. Nikola Vucevic notched 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench and contributed 15 points and five assists.
Jan 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) controls the ball while Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn ImagesOn the Celtics’ side, Anfernee Simons came off the bench with a game-high 27 points. Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown scored 21 and 14 points, respectively.
With Neemias Queta overwhelming Vucevic with two consecutive put-backs on the glass, the Celtics opened with four points. Buzelis pulled up for a contested three-pointer to respond. The sophomore then cruised with two straight downhill buckets, but the Celtics immediately regained the lead when Derrick White drew a three-point foul.
After the first timeout, White, who returned under a minute restriction, and Lachlan Olbrich, who was recently active from the injury report, checked in. But the Bulls misfired and trailed by 11 points. Though Julian Phillips came off the bench with a triple to cut the deficit, the Bulls went dormant, shooting only 27% from the field, and the Celtics continued to bombard, trailing 31-14 for the first.
The Bulls remained lost in the second, while Boston pulled away with a 20-point cushion. Jevon Carter and Dosunmu checked in and fired three triples en route to cutting the deficit, but the Celtics regained dominance, leading 54-33 after Pritchard drilled a buzzer-beating three.
While the opponent controlled the pace, the Bulls opted to attack the rim, led by Buzelis, who was the first and only one with a double-digit score at the time. Before the timeout, Chicago had scored 22 points, better than the first (14) and second quarter (19), and trailed 73-55.
White rejuvenated with his first three, followed by another trey from Dosunmu to trim the gap to 15. But Simons took over the game off the bench, connecting on multiple threes to maintain the cushion for Boston.
But the Bulls’ rally came late in the fourth. Nikola Vucevic awakened with a second-chance two. He then fed Buzelis for a corner three, cutting the deficit to the smallest 11 with four minutes left.
Coming back from the timeout, Boston responded with composure in the remainder. With White and Queta combining for six points, the Celtics sealed the game at
The Bulls will travel to Detroit on Wednesday and face the Pistons at 6 p.m. CT.