1 stud and 1 dud from road loss against Bulls

The Boston Celtics’ win streak was bound to end at some point.

On Monday night, the Celtics got outplayed by the Chicago Bulls in a 121-107 loss. The loss snaps a nine-game winning streak for the Celtics, and they now drop to 13-4 on the season. Both of the Celtics’ regulation losses this season have come in Chicago.

The Cs came out flat, and they lacked energy on both ends of the floor. The offense was terrible in the first quarter, as they shot 27% from the field and had six turnovers. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown carried the scoring load for the Celtics in the first half. Brown scored 12 points in the second quarter and finished with 25.

The Bulls took advantage of the Celtics’ lack of energy as they forced 15 turnovers in the game, and they shot 48% from three-point range. The Celtics trailed by as many as 21 in the game, and they did not play well until late in the third quarter. Malcolm Brogdon sparked a late Celtics run, but their poor shooting was not enough to complete the comeback.

The Celtics’ winning streak ends on a poor note as their defense was terrible, and they shot poorly. Boston will look to get back to winning ways as they start a six-game homestand on Wednesday night when they host Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks.

Here is one stud and one dud from the loss.

Boston Celtics Stud: Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon is tonight’s dud, as he was the only player who showed up other than the Jays. Brogdon was a spark off the bench for the C’s, as he had 23 points, one rebound, six assists, and one block in 25 minutes. He also shot efficiently as he was 8/13 from the field and 5/6 from the 3-point line. Brogdon’s ability to have a big impact on the game in limited minutes is crucial.

Brogdon also is the stud of the game because the Celtics looked the best when he was on the floor. The Celtic’s best runs in the game were when Brogdon was on the court as he was moving the ball and hitting deep shots. Brogdon has to continue his efficient play as the season progresses.

Brogdon’s confidence continues to grow every game he suits up.

Boston Celtics Dud: Al Horford

Al Horford is tonight’s dud, as he had his worst game of the season tonight when the Celtics needed players to step up. Horford had zero points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and was a -11 for the game. He also shot horribly from the field, as he was 0/7 from 3-point range.

Horford showed his age tonight as he was ineffective all over the floor, which is concerning, considering the Celtics had two days’ rest. Hopefully, Horford was just having an off night like most of the other Celtics players.

I expect Horford to get back on track on Wednesday night against the Mavericks.