Boston looks terrible in LVSL opener as they fall to the Bulls 71-62
It was a tough game for the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Once again, they started out slow, but this time they weren’t able to get it going. After only scoring 10 points in the first quarter, the Celtics bounced back to score 28 in the second quarter, although scored a measly 12 points in each the third and fourth quarter. As you would expect, they fell to the Chicago Bulls 71-62 in embarrassing fashion.
Boston was able to hold a small lead for a short amount of time in the second half, which was arguably the biggest highlight of the game. The result isn’t what’s important about Summer League, it’s how the young players perform, and they performed very poorly.
Boston shot a dreadful 32.8 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three. The Celtics also started out the game shooting 0-of-8 from behind the arc before Guerschon Yabusele hit his first three of Summer League.
Yabusele put together one of the lone decent games by a Celtic last night. He once again struggled with his outside shot, going 2-of-6 from three, although he did hit his only two-point attempt and finished the game with 10 points, seven rebounds (four offensive) and two steals. His offensive game was much more perimeter-oriented than when he played in Utah, but he still showed the ability to take his defender off the dribble.
The longer three-point line has caused Yabusele some problems early on, however, his outstanding work on the glass, specifically on offense, and his underrated defense has been very impressive. Yabusele is proving that he’s like a wall down low when players try to post him up.
Still, that didn’t stop the Bulls’ front court from having a field day. It was evident that Bobby Portis had a big role with the Bulls as a rookie. He dominated the whole game and was unstoppable in the first quarter. Portis was the first player who completely out-shined Terry Rozier in Summer League this year as he finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 13 rebounds.
Jack Cooley also chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds as the Bulls managed to out-rebound the Celtics 46-to-28.
Simply put, the Bulls out-rebounded, out-hustled and simply out-played the Celtics. Even when Boston tried to speed up the pace the Bulls were able to adapt. The faster pace ended up hurting the Celtics, as well, since it caused a lot of careless turnovers and bad shots.
With that being said, Terry Rozier, while not as dominating, still had a decent night on Saturday. He managed to contribute a team-high 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Rozier shot an impressive 6-of-10 from the field and was able to get by his defender at will. Rozier’s ball-handling and quickness was on full display in Utah and is a reason why he’s been so successful.
Along with Rozier and Yabusele, Nader Abdel finally put together a strong stat line. After a couple of impressive showings in Utah, Nader backed up his play by scoring 12 points and once again being one of the hardest working players on the court.
Other than that, it was a rough game for Boston. Jaylen Brown shot an atrocious 3-of-13 from the field, and missed an easy dunk at the end of the game. His defense wasn’t terrible, however, he had no impact on the glass and continued to force shots when he should have forced his way to the basket.
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It’s his first game back from a minor knee injury, though, so easing back into things is probably what the Celtics told him to do.
Jordan Mickey and R.J. Hunter both returned from injury, as well. Mickey showed a lot of promise in his first Summer League action, but he also struggled at times. While he did post five points and seven rebounds, and provided solid defense in the paint, he committed six fouls and four turnovers. As good of a shot blocker as he is, learning to contest shots without fouling is what will earn him NBA minutes.
It was his first game, so rust was expected. Tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns will be a good test for both Mickey and Yabusele, though, as the Suns have Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender in their front court.
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Rough games are expected in Summer League. It’s just one game, and it’s better to get it out of the way now rather than in the tournament. I’d expect the Celtics to bounce back tomorrow against the Suns at 10:30PM ET on ESPN as the Suns look to stay perfect in Vegas.