Chicago Bulls’ Nightmare Unfolds! Witness the Shocking Result as They Get Demolished by Boston Celtics 124-97 in NBA’s In-Season Tournament – What Went Wrong?

The Chicago Bulls faced their fifth consecutive defeat with a crushing 124-97 loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA In-Season Tournament on Tuesday night. The Bulls concluded the inaugural tournament without a single victory, going 0-4 in the East’s Group C. Their struggles continued, now having lost eight of their last nine games, resulting in a disappointing 5-14 record.

The Celtics established dominance early on, showcasing the Bulls’ first-quarter challenges as they trailed 31-20 after shooting 8-of-26 from the field in the opening 12 minutes. Boston extended their lead to 19, reaching 69-50 at halftime and peaking at a 35-point advantage in a determined effort to secure victory in Group C.

As the winners of Group C, the Celtics secured the third seed in the Eastern Conference and are set to face the second-seeded Indiana Pacers in the knockout round next week.

Celtics were intentionally fouling Andre Drummond while up 32 POINTS with 7:02 in the 4Q

Joe Mazzulla had to explain to Billy Donovan they needed to win by 23 to have a chance to advance 😂 pic.twitter.com/4rEoWvHfus

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 29, 2023

In an unusual turn of events, the Celtics, aware of the point differential’s role in advancing to the knockout rounds, disregarded the unwritten rule against running up the score. They actively sought to score as many points as possible, even intentionally fouling Bulls’ big man Andre Drummond, a 47% free-throw shooter, in the fourth quarter to gain additional possessions. The Celtics needed to win by 23 points to secure Group C.

Bulls coach Billy Donovan acknowledged the challenging situation for Drummond, stating, “But I also understand the situation he’s in, too. He’s got to coach his team and do what’s right, but I think it was putting Andre in a tough spot down 30 points. But this is from the league. This is what the league has done, making this point-differential thing.”