Boston Celtics Earn First Home Win of Series as Things Get Testy to Take a 3-2 Lead

The Boston Celtics, led by Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, took down the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Boston Celtics dominated the fourth quarter on their way to a 108-97 victory at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

Boston struggled to begin the game, settling for three-point shots and missing nearly every one. The Bulls couldn’t take advantage though and they allowed the Celtics to get back into it. Boston finished the quarter strong and took a 23-20 lead into the second.

Things remained relatively close all the way through the third quarter, but in the fourth Isaiah Thomas took over like he always does.

Thomas was just 6-17 from the field, but he hit all 11 of his free throw attempts to end the game with 24 points. Avery Bradley matched IT’s point total, with many of his points coming in the first half as the rest of the Celtics’ offense struggled.

Al Horford added 11 points of his own to round out the top 3 scorers for the game. Only one Bulls player, Dwyane Wade with 26, scored over 20 points.

The Celtics bench also had a huge impact on the game. Brad Stevens went just four deep with Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko, and Terry Rozier all seeing time on the court. Rozier may have had the greatest play of the game though with his steal and slam in the second quarter. Kelly Olynyk had the biggest impact on the game however.

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Boston was +14 with Olynyk in the game and +12 with Smart, and they were two huge factors in the win.

Olynyk finished with 14 points, and 5 rebounds on the night. He also got into it with a couple of Bulls players.

Dwyane Wade was called on a technical after his outcry that a foul should have been called on a hard Kelly O screen.

Robin Lopez was also issued a technical foul in the fourth quarter after complaining nonstop about a non-call.

In case you need a laugh, here’s one of Lopez’ misses during the third quarter.

Avery Bradley was phenomenal on the defensive end as he spent most of the night on Chicago’s Jimmy Butler. Butler finished the game with 14 points, and only 1 free throw attempt. AB did a great job of sticking with Butler without fouling each time down the floor.

Simply put, Chicago fell apart when Boston turned up the heat in the final quarter. Now, after beginning the series with two straight losses, Boston is one game away from moving on. Game 6 will be played Friday Night at the United Center in Chicago. Rajon Rondo will likely return for the Bulls, but I don’t believe it will be enough to slow down this Boston Celtics freight train.

Next: Smart's In Butler's Head

Boston outscored Chicago 29-16 in the final frame, and they’re now in position to close out the series on the road in Chicago.