NEWSLETTER
Goal: Don’t get embarrassed on national television.
Oh … and win, I guess.
Broadcast Info
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls – 6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN, 670 The Score (audio)
Chicago Bulls
Projected Starters:
1. Coby White
2. Zach LaVine
3. Patrick Williams
4. Daniel Theis
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Troy Brown Jr. OUT (ankle)
Boston Celtics
Projected Starters:
1. Kemba Walker
2. Marcus Smart
3. Evan Fournier
4. Jayson Tatum
5. Robert Williams
Injury Report: Jaylen Brown OUT (ankle), Robert Williams QUESTIONABLE (toe)
What to Watch For …
• The Chicago Bulls will catch a small break tonight with Jaylen Brown out of the lineup, who dropped 23 points on a 10-15 shooting performance the last time these two teams played. However, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that will make things easier than they were on that April 19th matchup. In that game, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier, and Robert Williams were all off the court. All signs point to those four players suiting up tonight and giving the Celtics the same rotation that destroyed the Orlando Magic 132-96 on Wednesday.
• Robert Williams is questionable tonight’s matchup with turf toe, but if he does take the court, the matchup in the paint should be one to keep an eye on. Nikola Vucevic absolutely destroyed the Celtics in Williams’ absence last month, dropping 29 points with 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block. Tristian Thompson just couldn’t keep up with the big man, but Williams should be a different story. While Vooch is savvy enough to give anyone problems, Williams is Boston’s best rim-protector, and his 4.8 block percentage ranks in the league’s 97th percentile, according to Cleaning the Glass.
• Zach LaVine played only 27 minutes last night in his first game since April 14th. He finished the night with 13 points on a 3-8 performance from downtown. The All-Star admitted to feeling a bit tired after the game, and he also told reporters that it would take some reps to get back into an offensive rhythm. In front of a national audience for only the second time this season, I’ll be curious to see what version of LaVine we get tonight.
• Jayson Tatum may have recorded his first career triple-double in the Celtics’ recent loss to the Bulls, but he only scored 14 points, which is pretty uncharacteristic for a player that has averaged 29.7 points per game since the beginning of April. Look for the superstar to have a more gut-punching performance tonight as Boston continues to fight for playoff seeding. The Celtics are currently tied with the Miami Heat for the 6th seed and 1.0 game behind the Hawks for the 5th seed. Considering the 7th seed must take part in a play-in game, I’m sure the Celtics view this as a must-win game.
• Thad should do this again IMO …
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1390470764109910019?s=20
• Oh, and watch out for more emotions from Patrick Williams.
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1390447154427305984?s=20
Get Caught Up …
Zach is back and so are our fans ❤️
Celtics | ESPN | 6:30 pm CT pic.twitter.com/wQ8I1OsU2n
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 7, 2021
LIVE: Billy Donovan pregame vs. Celtics https://t.co/jhU1HMdpC9
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 7, 2021
The Win Over the Hornets Was Fun and All, But the Bulls Play-in Chances Are Still Very Badhttps://t.co/vVpI9IvsiQ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) May 7, 2021
