The Chicago Bulls lost 106-101 to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Boston was in control of the contest for most of the evening, leading by as many as 18 on several occasions in the second half. Aaron Brooks led a furious comeback in the late stages, but ultimately the inability to corral a defensive rebound with 22 seconds remaining proved to be their downfall. Here are the grades for the now 5-2 Bulls.
Fatigue likely played a role in this one, but there really isn’t any excuse for the lack of defensive effort. The Bulls are talented, but can’t sleep-walk through three quarters in this league and expect to win. Thibodeau is likely telling them the same, only with some four-letter words sprinkled in. The defensive execution needs to improve, and they need to do a better job on the boards. At some point chemistry issues are no longer a viable excuse.