Typically, the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup in the playoffs is the easiest to call. It’s ostensibly a David vs. Goliath showdown, one which Goliath traditionally wins the majority of the time.
The Bulls proved this No. 1 vs. No. 8 series isn’t a lock for the Celtics
Jimmy Butler was the best player on the floor as Chicago swiped Game 1 from Boston.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
But if we learned anything on Sunday night as the Chicago Bulls downed the Boston Celtics, 106-102, in a paschal Game 1, it was that this first-round series isn’t at all a lock for the Celtics.
And with Boston squandering its home-court advantage for the remainder of the series, it’s fair to question whether the outcome will turn out as many envisioned for a C’s team that swiped the East’s best record from the defending champions.
No, this wasn’t your average postseason opener. Isaiah Thomas, Boston’s leading scorer (28.9 PPG), lost his younger sister in an auto accident on Saturday. The emotional toll of the last 24 hours of his life couldn’t be denied, regardless of whether he scored 33 points.
But the Bulls were able to take and hold onto a small fourth-quarter lead to thieve Game 1 from underneath Boston’s nose.
They staved off a Celtics comeback behind Jimmy Butler, who scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half. Butler poured on 15 points in a fourth quarter where Chicago kept Boston at bay and held off a couple late-game momentum changes, including an overturned out of bounds call on the second-to-last possession.
Despite Thomas’s scoring barrage, it was the Bulls’ All-Star who looked like the best player on the floor on Sunday.
But Chicago also enjoyed production from Bobby Portis, who poured in three uncharacteristic triples while scoring 19 points off the bench. Dwyane Wade still had 11 points, albeit on 4-of-12 shooting, and the Bulls put to bed any doubt that they deserve their seat at the table.
This is the same Bulls team that almost missed the playoffs.
Chicago finished the season 41-41, tied with the Miami Heat. Had they not held the tie-breaker, they could have been on the outside looking in. But the Bulls proved they belong in the playoffs now with a strong Game 1 win over the Celtics.
The last time a No. 8 seed beat a No. 1 seed in the first-round opener, it was the Atlanta Hawks beating the Indiana Pacers in 2014. The Hawks went on to lose that series, but the loss served as a stark reminder that the top seeds aren’t at all impervious to defeat.
Chicago now has its paws on this series. And if the Bulls can keep it up, they’re just a few pellets away from knocking Goliath out of the postseason early on.
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