Jayson Tatum scored 28 points (16 in the paint), and the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 111-104.
The Celtics took control with a 26-11 run bridging the third and fourth quarters and led by as many as 16.
The Bulls got within 99-96 on Zach LaVine’s driving dunk with 3:20 to play, but Jaylen Brown answered with a 12-foot step-back jumper, and the Bulls got no closer than 103-99.
During clutch time, the Celtics outscored the Bulls 8-3. Tatum (No. 9 in clutch points, 2019-20) scored 5 of the Celtics’ 8 on 2 for 2 shooting. In the fourth quarter, LaVine had 3 of his 4 steals, 1 of them during a 10-0 Bulls run, and the Bulls scored 2 points off them.
Gordon Hayward scored 24 points (12 in the paint) on 9 for 14 shooting.
For the Bulls, LaVine had 35 points and a season-high 4 steals.
The Celtics shot 52.4% from the field and 42.1% from 3 to the Bulls’ 42.5% and 38.2%. They outscored the Bulls 60-38 in the paint. The Celtics outscored the Bulls 14-3 in 5 minutes with Hayward, Smart, Brown, Theis and Williams on the floor together.