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In an Eastern Conference clash between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, the Bulls were in need of a victory, with the Celtics having already clinched the first seed in the upcoming 2024 NBA Playoffs.
The Bulls put up a strong effort in the opening quarter, with no single standout player but rather a collective team effort that resulted in a 31-31 tie. DeMar DeRozan led the charge for the Bulls with seven points, while Alex Caruso and Torrey Craig contributed six points each.
On the Celtics' side, Jayson Tatum led the charge with 10 points in the first quarter, and he continued his dominance in the second quarter with an additional nine points. This helped the Celtics secure a 66-60 lead by halftime, with Sam Hauser (14 points) and Al Horford (11 points) also making significant contributions.
In the third quarter, the Bulls narrowed the gap to three points, trailing 95-92, with DeRozan leading the charge with 22 points. However, Al Horford stepped up for the Celtics, scoring 12 points in the quarter to maintain their lead. Payton Pritchard also made his presence felt with 15 points and seven assists.
Ultimately, the Celtics emerged victorious with a 124-113 win. Three Boston Celtics players scored over 20 points: Jayson Tatum (26 points), Al Horford (23 points), and Sam Hauser (23 points).
Despite seven Bulls players reaching double figures in scoring, DeMar DeRozan was the standout performer with 28 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.
After witnessing this exciting matchup, let's take a look at some of the best moments from Saturday's game between the two teams.
Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls: Top 5 viral moments (March 23)
#1 Dalen Terry soars for the putback slam
Dalen Terry showed off his leaping ability in front of the home crowd on Saturday. With the Chicago Bulls looking to improve their record, Terry stepped up to efficiently support DeMar DeRozan in an attempt to beat the first-seeded Boston Celtics. With a little over a minute remaining in the third quarter, Terry secured the Bulls' lead after going up for a putback slam.
#2 Jayson Tatum slices Alex Caruso and Coby White
Seeing as how the Bulls were slowly catching up to the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum got to work and made sure he broke their hearts in front of the Windy City. Towards the latter part of the fourth quarter, Alex Caruso and Coby White attempted to stop Tatum in his tracks.
However, Tatum got shifty with his handle and managed to split the defense and finish with a slash inside the paint over Nikola Vucevic.
#3 Dalen Terry posterizes Derrick White
With the game within reach in the fourth quarter, Dalen Terry played with some urgency trying to get the Chicago Bulls back in the game. 10:24 remained in the final period when the Bulls found a fast break opportunity led by Terry.
The Bulls forward went up for a posterizing slam over Derrick White to cut the lead down to 100-94.
#4 Payton Pritchard shows off his agility
Payton Pritchard is now playing in his fourth NBA season with the Boston Celtics. While he remains a role player for his team, Pritchard has proven to be a valuable asset to the Celtics this year. Averaging a career-high 8.6 points, Payton showed how much he's grown.
Towards the third quarter of the game, Pritchard took matters into his own hands and attacked the basket with a quick first step to blow past two Bulls defenders. He ended up getting an and-one finish.
#5 Sam Hauser seals the Deal
Throughout Saturday's matchup between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, Chicago managed to keep up with the NBA's top team. However, the Bulls somehow collapsed mid-way through the fourth quarter, which led to Boston pulling away.
With a 10-point lead in the final few two minutes of the game, Sam Hauser nailed the dagger from the corner three to seal the Celtics victory.
