CHICAGO (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Sam Hauser and Al Horford each added 23 points, and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls for the ninth straight time, 124-113, on Saturday night. did.
Hauser made 7 of 21 3-pointers for Boston, and Horford made 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. Derrick White scored 17 points, Peyton Pritchard added 15 points and eight assists, and the Celtics posted a season-high despite missing Jaylen Brown (right ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring). He is now two wins away from winning consecutive games.
Boston scored nine straight points early in the fourth quarter to take an eight-point lead and held on until the end. Luke Cornett scored on a tip-in and Tatum hit a layup to make it a six-point game, 117-107 with 3:04 left.
DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 26 points. Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 14 points for the Bulls, who suffered their second straight loss.
Chicago's Darren Terry made a shocking chip-in dunk off a missed jumper by DeRozan late in the third quarter, giving the Bulls a one-point lead and sending the crowd into a roar. Boston led 92-91 at the end of the quarter when Pritchard hit a finger-roll layup and two free throws to start a nine-point spurt. Hauser made a 3 shortly into the fourth to make it 100-92.
Tatum scored 19 points and Sam Hauser added 14 points, giving Boston a 66-60 lead at halftime.
The Celtics made 13 of 27 3-pointers, with Hauser making 4 of 5 and Horford making 3. Tatum sank a step-back jumper and a three to make it 66-55 with just over a minute left, but then Vucevic hit a hook shot and Chicago White connected from beyond the arc to make it a six-point lead.
The Bulls signed guard/forward Javonte Green to a 10-day contract, returning him to the team for the second time. Green spent parts of three seasons in Chicago after being acquired from Boston in March 2021 as part of a three-team trade that included Washington. He played in 10 games for Golden State's G League affiliate this season.
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Celtics: Visit Atlanta on Monday.
Bulls: Host Washington on Monday.
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