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Celtics Turn Bulls’ Turnovers Into A Two-Game Nightmare
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- Celtics Turn Bulls’ Turnovers Into A Two-Game Nightmare
Celtics Turn Bulls' Turnovers Into A Two-Game Nightmare originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Chicago Bulls came back to Boston looking for a better result after Monday's 35-point loss. The score was closer Friday, but one problem followed them: the Celtics kept turning Chicago's mistakes into points.
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The Bulls committed 25 turnovers in Monday's 134-99 loss and another 16 in Friday's NBA Cup opener. Boston scored 39 points off those giveaways in the first game and 21 in the second. In two wins over Chicago in five days, the Celtics collected 60 points off 41 Bulls turnovers.
Boston Made Mistakes Cost Something
Turnovers do not always lead to points. Against Boston, too many of Chicago's did. The Celtics made the Bulls pay for lost possessions, helping them build a lead that reached 32 points in the second quarter.
The Celtics turned the ball over 14 times themselves Friday, so it was not a flawless night with possession. But they handled the ball better than Chicago and did far more with the opportunities the Bulls gave them.
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MORE: Payton Pritchard Gives Celtics A Scoring Spark The Bulls Can't Stop
A Problem Chicago Has To Fix
The Bulls scored 111 points Friday and made 15 3-pointers, so their offense found some success. But it is difficult to make a game competitive when too many possessions end before a shot goes up. Chicago trimmed the deficit late, after Boston had already pulled its starters, but the early damage was too much to overcome.
For the Celtics, the two wins show how quickly defensive pressure can become offense. Boston is now 4-1 and has won four straight. If the Celtics keep forcing mistakes and converting them into easy chances, opponents will have to take extra care with every possession.
