The Bulls lost 125-111 in Boston on Friday in a Cup group game, their second loss to the Celtics in five days and fourth defeat in a row. They trailed by 19 after 12 minutes, by 29 at the half and by as many as 32 before a 37-point fourth made the final look respectable.
Twelve minutes, game over. Chicago led 9-6 early. Then Boston ran off 10 straight, and Tiago Splitter used a timeout at 9-14. Another 8-0 burst forced a second one at 18-33. The Celtics put 44 on the board in the opening period, and the Bulls spent the rest of the night chasing.
The half got worse. An 8-0 Boston push midway through the second made it 63-35. Chicago scored the last points of the half and the first of the third, eight unanswered that cut it to 78-54. Boston called time, steadied, and the gap still sat at 25 after three.
Pritchard did the damage. Payton Pritchard came off Boston's bench for 30 on 9-of-17 shooting and went 9-for-9 at the line. Neemias Queta added 13 and was +16 in 20 minutes. Jayson Tatum chipped in 26 with seven assists. Chicago's bench managed 37 points against 71 from the starters.
Wilson: A-minus. Caleb Wilson scored 23 and made 6 of 11 from deep, a big night for a rookie who came in shooting 22.2 percent from three. He added two blocks against one turnover in 31 minutes, and his nine in the fourth led the late push.
Powell steady, Giddey loose. Norman Powell got to 16 mostly at the stripe, 7 of 8, while shooting 4 of 11 from the floor. Grade: B-minus. Josh Giddey scored 13 on eight shots with five assists and finished +2, but four turnovers in 25 minutes cost him. Grade: C-plus.
The minus column. Tre Jones had four steals and 12 points and still finished -22 in 20 minutes, worst on the roster. Leonard Miller was -18 in 11. Matas Buzelis scored 14 on 5-of-11 shooting but sat at -14. Isaac Okoro, +4, and Jalen Smith, +3 in 27 minutes, were the only real positives.
Where it leaves them. Four straight losses dropped Chicago from 12th to 14th place in the East. Miami holds 10th at 2-4, one game up, and Atlanta sits sixth at 3-3, two clear. The current pace projects to 14-68. Six games in, that math means little, but the hole is real.
Why did the Bulls lose to the Celtics on Oct. 30?
Boston scored 44 in the opening quarter and led by as many as 32. Payton Pritchard had 30 off the bench, and Chicago's 37-point fourth only trimmed the final to 125-111.
When is Nic Claxton coming back for the Bulls?
Claxton is out with a hamstring injury. His listed return date is Nov. 4, the game at New York.
