Pick an excuse: the Celts played the Bulls last night without Kevin Garnett or Rasheed Wallace and it was the sixth game in nine nights for Boston.
Whatever the reason, the Bulls (who had been blown out in their previous two meetings this season) looked like the team that gave the Celtics so much trouble in the first round of the playoffs last spring as they won 96-83 at the TD Garden.
Luol Deng scored a game-high 25 points, Derrick Rose added 17 points and eight rebounds while the world's ugliest man Joakim Noah posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Rookie Taj Gibson played well for Chicago (17-20) notching 14 points and six rebounds and Kirk Hinrich scored 11.
Boston (27-11) got a very quiet 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Paul Pierce and 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks by Kendrick Perkins but nobody else (save for 11 points by Eddie House off the bench) bothered to show up for an obviously tired C's team.
The Bulls are certainly not as good as the Hawks but they fit the young, athletic team mold that is so clearly Boston's kryptonite.
Chicago jumped out to a 29-18 lead after the first quarter and 47-39 at the half and the C's could never really make a definitive run in the second half. Boston outscored Chicago 24-23 in the third quarter but the Bulls closed with a 26-20 fourth.
Missing 13 free throws (15 for 28) especially for a veteran team that normally shoots so well is inexcusable for the C's. Predictably the Bulls owned them on the glass (50-39) and had five more blocks (10-5).
Thankfully the Celts have a few days to relax at home as they prepare for the Mavericks, the second best team in the Western Conference (still frauds), who come to the Garden on Monday night.
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