The Boston Celtics need a big win against the Bulls to get their season back on track
The Boston Celtics are a long ways away from getting back to where they were before the month of December, and a more accommodating schedule is not going to change everything. There have been a lot of obstacles pulling the Celtics down, but some of their play has been beyond inexcusable.
When it is all said and done, this should be remembered as the worst stretch of the season for the Celtics, and it is hard to imagine anything being worse than the blow to loss to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls deserve their credit right now, because they have been playing well and stringing wins together.
The Celtics still know that the Bulls do not have the talent to keep up with them, unless they are playing their season worst basketball. Against the Bulls, that is exactly what happened, and it is going to take a lot of strong wins before people forget about that and the loss to the Miami Heat without their three best players.
The Celtics do not have to wait very long for a shot at redemption, and there can be no excuses for this one. The Celtics still have not really had a chance to recover from the brutal schedule, but they need to go out there and prove they do not need an easy schedule to be at their best.
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The Celtics are playing at home, and they are looking to build some momentum to go into the Christmas day showdown with the Wizards. This is not a game the Celtics want to try and keep it close and win in the clutch, because the Bulls are a lot more used to finding those ways to win right now.
For the first time since this awful stretch started, the Celtics need to impose their will. They need to come out with that playoff like mentality they had during every game of their 16 game winning streak, and they need to punish the Bulls for what happened to them in the last meeting.
The Celtics need to separate themselves from the Bulls in a big way, because a small win is not enough to alleviate any of the concerns right now. Even a blowout win would not be enough to bring the confidence back, but that is the only way they can start right now.
The Celtics are fortunate that they are still holding onto that number one seed despite these struggles, but they are on the very edge right now. Both the Raptors and the Cavaliers have been playing a lot better, and it feels like a matter of time before they pass this Celtics team in the standings.
If the Celtics continue this slide, then this stretch alone could blow home court advantage throughout the East. If, however, they end these struggles now, and put together a commanding victory against a Bulls team they need to be able to beat, then they can help solidify their position at the top seed.
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The Bulls have proven they are no longer a team that can be taken lightly, and the Celtics have not been able to take anyone lightly during this stretch. The Celtics know that they can control their destiny in this one. The Bulls are not going to win unless the Celtics give them the opportunities to stay in the game, and a complete and balanced game from the Celtics should mean the first commanding victory in far too long.