The Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls, 133-77, on Saturday for their fifth win in a row.
No Al Horford, No Problem.
The Boston Celtics jumped out to a 17-0 lead, cruising to their fifth consecutive win, battering the Chicago Bulls, 133-77, at the United Center Saturday night.
The 56-point win was the largest margin of victory in Celtics franchise history, topping a 51-point victory over the Philadelphia Warriors on March 7, 1962.
For the second game in a row, Boston led from start to finish, holding a double-digit lead the entire second half and taking care of business early against an overmatched Eastern Conference foe. Boston’s 133 points were also a season-high.
Daniel Theis scored a career-high 20 points in his first start of the season, filling in at center for Al Horford, who missed the game with knee soreness.
💥 THEIS 💥 https://t.co/mgsyhAJCYq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 9, 2018
Marcus Morris scored all 12 of his points in the first quarter, while backup guard Terry Rozier chipped in 10 points in the second quarter to help build a 64-43 lead at the break.
Rozier finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists, while Semi Ojeleye added 13 points, mostly in garbage time. Jayson Tatum drilled all four of his three-point attempts on his way to 18 points.
Boston finished with a season-high 34 assists on a season-high 50 made field goals. The Celtics shot 22-for-43 from beyond the arc.
New Center of Attention
With Al Horford a late scratch with a sore knee, Daniel Theis started at center for the Boston Celtics, while Guerschon Yabusele played the reserve minutes. Aron Baynes was out for his third straight game with a sprained ankle.
Theis hit his first shot, a wide open midrange jumper, less than 1:30 into the game to give Boston a 4-0 lead. Out of a timeout, Boston ran a backdoor alley oop for Theis to go ahead, 11-0.
Theis had 10 points and 4 rebounds in the first half and finished the game with a career-high 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Yabusele checked in for the first time with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter and scored his first basket rolling hard to the hoop for a tough layup with a minute left in the period. He left late in the game after suffering a lower leg injury.
Boston led, 35-17, after the first quarter.