BOSTON (AP) – Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Jayson Tatum had 21 and the Boston Celtics routed the Chicago Bulls 124-97 on Tuesday night in the final round of group play in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The Celtics made a season-high 21 3-pointers, getting four each from Al Horford and Jrue Holiday. All five Boston starters scored in double figures.
Horford finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Holiday, who returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle, had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Celtics extended the Bulls’ losing streak to five straight. They outrebounded the Bulls 51-38 and shot 52% (47 of 90) from the field.
Although the Celtics began the day with the best record in the NBA, Boston needed a win and a huge scoring night to have a chance at reaching next week´s quarterfinals.
The victory was enough for the Celtics to tie Orlando for the lead in the Eastern Conference Group C with a record of 3-1, but Boston needed points after entering Tuesday with a point differential – a key tiebreaker in the inaugural tournament – of zero.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket in the second half of an NBA In-Season Tournament basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
