Bulls execute their game plan on emotional night in Boston
BOSTON - Even though it was a No. 1 vs. 8 matchup, most people expected the Bulls-Celtics first-round series to be competitive.
The late-season formula for Bulls success included one of the young players getting hot, and they got that in Sunday's Game 1 with Bobby Portis erupting for an efficient 19 points.
They knew at the end of a close game, they might have an advantage with two go-to scorers in Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, while Boston relies heavily on 5-foot-9 point guard Isaiah Thomas.
The great unknown was the emotion. Not so much due to the start of the playoffs, but the tragedy that struck the Celtics this weekend. Chyna Thomas, 22, younger sister of Isaiah, died early Saturday morning in a car accident near the family's home in Seattle. The Celtics honored Chyna before the game with a moment of silence, and the fans at TD Garden boisterously supported Thomas before and during the contest.
Boston started with Thomas and Avery Bradley knocking down the team's first 4 attempts from 3-point range. The Bulls fell behind early, but settled down, did some of the things they do best and came away with a 106-102 victory in Game 1.
"I think we were so locked in all week," Butler said. "We knew their stuff and they knew our stuff. We executed really well. We haven't done that all season, but this is the right time to do it."
The shootout went about as expected, with Thomas scoring 33 points and Butler finishing with 30. The Bulls' biggest advantage was on the glass, where they built a 53-36 rebounding edge. Center Robin Lopez had a big game, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 8 offensive rebounds.
"I know when I put that kind of pressure on the rim, it opens things up for my teammates," Lopez said. "That's something I'm going to keep trying to do."
Was this victory a fluke or a sign the Celtics will have their hands full in this series? There were plenty of good signs, as far as the Bulls were concerned. Rebounding has been a problem for Boston all season, so that part may not change. The Celtics rely heavily on Thomas, and the Bulls can use Butler - nearly a foot taller - against him late in games.
The Celtics have the look of a great regular season team. They play with great effort, are well coached and deserve credit for earning the No. 1 seed in the East.
When it comes down to it, though, do they have enough talent to make a long playoff run? Think back to those Don Nelson-coached Milwaukee Bucks teams in the 1980s that habitually lost to the 76ers and Celtics every year in the playoffs.
"It's all we've been talking about for a few days," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "When those guys hit you and they're big, we've got to do a better job of going and getting (rebounds)."
At the same time, there's no telling how the tragic news might have affected the Celtics. Were they off their game or did they use all that emotion to produce their best effort?
"It was tough," Celtics guard Avery Bradley said. "I feel we did a great job of handling it as a team and it all started at shootaround. We were pretty locked in, making sure we prepared for the game."
Before tip off, Stevens talked about how difficult it's been for Thomas and his teammates. Stevens stressed that it would be OK if Thomas decided he wasn't able to play.
"We are here to be supportive for him and part of being supportive for him is putting our best foot forward and letting him know it's OK," Stevens said. "Whatever his emotions are at that time, it's OK to let them out. I think again, you all know this from having really tough stuff happen. I don't know that there's a script for this. I don't know that there's a script for the emotions someone's supposed to show. I think ultimately, however you feel, that's the way you feel."
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