NEWSLETTER
Playing a top-2 on the backend of a back-to-back?
Thank goodness they clinched!
Magic 120, Cavs 115
You know what that means … pic.twitter.com/b0gcd0QzzA
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 6, 2022
Game Info
Boston Celtics (49-30) at Chicago Bulls (45-33) ??? 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV), and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1.?? Ayo Dosunmu
2. Zach LaVine
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Patrick Williams
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Zach LaVine AVAILABLE (knee), Alex Caruso OUT (back), Matt Thomas OUT (leg)
Boston Celtics
1.?? Marcus Smart
2. Jaylen Brown
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Al Horford
5. Daniel Theis
Injury Report: Robert Williams OUT (knee), Nik Stauskas OUT (ankle), Jaylen Brown PROBABLE (knee), Jayson Tatum PROBABLE (knee), Al Horford PROBABLE (back)
Odds
The Bulls walk into tonight as +7.0 underdogs against the Boston Celtics at PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook??and at the??FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook.??Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (?????or pick the opposite, I guess ???)!
What to Watch For ???
????? ??The Boston Celtics have turned into one of the NBA’s top teams in the second half of the season. Since the All-Star break, this group has lost just four of their 19 games and has held the NBA’s top net rating. The turnaround has been largely based on their defensive intensity, which has held opponents to a league-low 104.3 points this season. The persistent perimeter pressure of players like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart has helped keep teams to just a 43.4 percent clip from the field. All things considered, this spells trouble for a Bulls team that has shot with just the 27th-ranked effective field goal percentage since the All-Star break.
????? Nikola Vucevic needs a bounce-back performance. One night after going against a tough Bucks frontcourt and shooting a grotesque 3-19, he will face a Celtics team absent of their starting center. Vucevic will draw a matchup against former Bull Daniel Thies, who he will have a decent size advantage over. With that said, we know Theis likes to play physically, and he also shouldn’t have trouble guarding Vooch along the perimeter, so the big man must still bring his A-game.
????? Billy Donovan should tighten the leash on his top players. Zach LaVine is likely to play tonight despite his knee trouble, and DeMar DeRozan will surely give it his all one night after dropping a hard-fought 40 points. While I would love for the Bulls to have this be the big win that builds momentum for the playoffs, there is a chance it turns into another blowout, and Donovan should prioritize resting his guys if that becomes the case.
????? More in here …
That???s One Way to Clinch, Mixed Emotions, No Rest for DeRozan, Vucevic???s Hard Foul, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/fxW988ZHDZ pic.twitter.com/2A8UZLs3HN
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 6, 2022
