| |
|
NBA PLAYOFFS -- Bulls stun No.1 Celtics, steal Game 1
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 18 Apr 2017
CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler had always been a workhorse, so it was no surprise that he carried the Chicago Bulls on his back on Sunday afternoon and led a gutsy 106-102 win over the Celtics in Game 1 of their series opener at the TD Garden in Boston.
Though barely making the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls looked like legitimate title contenders, playing with poise and experience that matters heavily in the postseason.
The Bulls didn't shoot well from the field 39-of-91 for 42.9 percent, but their defense was superb and held Boston to 37-of-85 for a mere 43 percent. Chicago was also a beast off the boards, out-rebounding the Celtics, 53-36.
"We were so locked in all week. We knew their stuff, jut like they knew ours. But we executed extremely well. We haven't done that all season, but this is the right time to do it," Butler told the Associated Press.
Butler finished with 30 points and 9 boards while Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo combined for 23 points and 12 assists. Bobby Portis was huge off the bench, contributing 19 including two clutch 3s late in the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Thomas, who lost his 22-year old sister to a car accident a day before Game 1, put up a gallant performance with 33 points. But he got little help as only Al Horforf (19) and Avery Bradley (14) scored in double-figures for the Celtics.
The Bulls try to take a stranglehold of this best-of-7 first-round series when Game 2 resumes Tuesday night (Wednesday AM in Manila) at the TD Garden. (HDS)
Photo: Jimmy Butler ran amok in the fourth quarter where he scored 15 points to the lead the Bulls 106-102 charge over the Celtics in Game 1 of their playoffs showdown.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
, Tue, 16 Sep 2025Smarts over power
By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
, Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
, Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
, Mon, 15 Sep 202521-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
, Sun, 14 Sep 2025Battle of Undefeated: Callum Walsh Vanquishes Fernando Vargas Jr.
By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025Undercard Inferno: Mbilli and Martinez Deliver a Super Middleweight War Ending in a Thrilling Draw
By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025Crawford to defy odds?
By Joaquin Henson, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025Clash of Titans: The Final Predictions for Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford
By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025Weigh-In Results: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev
, Sun, 14 Sep 2025Inoue and Akhmadaliev Make Weight for Sunday's Battle, Watch it LIVE on Facebook!
By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025IIEE North Cotabato and Metro Central are the Golden Champion on 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025 |
|
|
|
|
|
