Boston races to a 44-25 first-quarter edge, powered by Payton Pritchard’s flawless start.
Boston poured in 44 points in the opening quarter and leads Chicago 44-25, building a 19-point cushion. Payton Pritchard has 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting, including a three, plus two steals in 6:15. Jayson Tatum added 9 points and 3 assists, while Paul George has 8 points and 4 assists; Norman Powell leads Chicago with 8 points. The Celtics entered 3-1 and ninth in the power index, while the Bulls were 1-4 and ranked 28th—the early gap is already emphatic, but this remains an in-progress game.
Key Performers
Payton Pritchard (Boston): 10 PTS, 4-for-4 FG, 2 STL Jayson Tatum (Boston): 9 PTS, 3 AST, +19 Norman Powell (Chicago): 8 PTS, 6-for-6 FT