Celtics Vs. Bulls: Derrick Rose Leads Chicago To Easy Win, 97-81

It wasn’t particularly close in Chicago as the Bulls ran over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, 97-81. Derrick Rose made his case for MVP, leading the way with 30 points, eight assists and five rebounds while looking dominant in every facet of the game. With Rose firing, the Bulls looked unstoppable as they jumped out to an early lead and continued to push throughout the second half.

The Celtics had no answer as Rose abused Rajon Rondo on the offensive end. But it wasn’t just about a high-powered offense for Chicago, as the defensive performance was just as admirable. The Bulls were solid with their defensive effort, closing down driving lanes and closing out on shooters while limiting the Celtics to 38.4 percent shooting from the floor and just 2-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

For more on the Bulls, visit Blog A Bull and SB Nation Chicago.

It’s the Derrick Rose show in Chicago and the Boston Celtics can’t seem to find an answer for the MVP candidate. Rose has shredded the Celtics lineup for a game-high 23 points, lifting the Bulls to 71-60 lead through three quarters. While Rose has keyed the Chicago offense, the Celtics have been unable to find a rhythm as none of the starters have stepped forward and stepped up to the challenge.

Luol Deng formed the other half of the Bulls’ one-two punch, and has 16 points thus far. Carlos Boozer is just one point away from a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds through the third. The Chicago bench hasn’t been outstanding, adding just 17 points to the mix, but with Rose and Deng clicking, a superb effort from the bench hasn’t been necessary.

Derrick Rose has yet to cool, scoring 16 points while sawing through the Boston Celtics defense at will, but the Chicago Bulls’ lead has dipped to a 48-43 advantage. The Bulls led by double digits before Boston made a late-half run by finally establishing a presence in the paint.

Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green have combined for 18 points now after a slow start. But Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah have totaled 14 on the glass, with Noah grabbing two of Chicago’s four offensive boards. Luol Deng, however, is in foul trouble, with three personals.

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Derrick Rose just keeps showing up big in big games, with his 10 points and three assists leading the Chicago Bulls to a 26-18 lead over the Boston Celtics at the end of the first quarter. Keith Bogans has six for the Bulls, with Joakim Noah’s five boards powering Chicago to a rebounding advantage.

Paul Pierce earned a technical foul, his second personal already, late in the period for yelping back at an official while walking off the floor. Doc Rivers was also complaining to the ref. Rose hit the subsequent free throw.

The Bulls haven’t quite been as good recently as they were a month ago, but they are still the top seed, so if Boston intends to send a message to the rest of the Eastern Conference, this is the night to do it. If the Celtics cannot do that, it has to help the Bulls’ confidence if the two teams do meet again in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For more on this game, Bulls fans should check out Blog a Bull and SB Nation Chicago, while Celtics fans should go to Celtics Blog and SB Nation Boston.

In this particular situation, Holiday goes for the lay-up, but because O’Neal stepped up to defend him he is able to contest the attempt and force the miss. Here is the play in real time:

As you rewatch the play, you notice that every single Celtic defender is on a string. They all go through their rotations without hesitating or even looking back to see if the rotations are made. This is the beauty of the Celtics’ defense. They all trust each other so much, and that trust is what allows them to rotation sharply and make it so hard for the offense.