Payton Pritchard buried seven threes as Boston outscored Chicago by 18 in the third quarter and won 134-99.
Boston seized control early and beat Chicago 134-99, building a 66-54 halftime lead before delivering the decisive blow after the break. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-10 from three, plus 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 1 turnover. Jayson Tatum added 23 points on 7-of-17 shooting, went 2-of-5 from three and 7-of-8 at the line, and recorded 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks and 3 turnovers. The game turned further in the third: Boston outscored Chicago 39-21 to take a 105-75 advantage into the fourth. Paul George supplied 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three, with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 4 turnovers. Sam Hauser chipped in 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, hit 3 of 4 threes, and added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 0 turnovers. Norman Powell was Chicago’s top scorer with 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three, alongside 1 rebound, 2 assists, 4 steals, 0 blocks and 2 turnovers, but the Bulls could not close the gap.
Key Performers
Payton Pritchard, BOS: 28 PTS, 10/16 FG, 7/10 3PT, 1 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO Jayson Tatum, BOS: 23 PTS, 7/17 FG, 2/5 3PT, 7 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO Norman Powell, CHI: 20 PTS, 5/11 FG, 4/7 3PT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO
Standings Impact
The supplied season-profile snapshot lists Boston at 1-1 (1-0 at home) and Chicago at 1-2 (1-1 on the road); it does not show updated records after this result. Boston is ranked 14th in the power index, with Chicago 20th.
DYMA Insight
Boston’s 39-21 third quarter turned a 12-point halftime cushion into a 30-point lead. Pritchard’s 7-of-10 three-point shooting was the standout individual edge in a 35-point win.