27 Jan 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) celebrate against Denver Nuggets during the second half in the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Pictures If Chicago Bulls is to beat Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening, they will do so without leading the point Zach Lavine.
Lavine and his wife, Hunter, recently announced that they expect their third child, and Lavine will not be with the team for their three-match trip, according to Chicago coach Billy Donovan. Bulls will play at Toronto on Friday and on Detroit on Sunday.
Lavine, which has been mentioned in trade rumors this season, is an average of 24.0 points, 4.8 returns and 4.5 assists per match and shoots 51.1 percent from the field. He threw in a team high 21 points when Bulls finished a two-game losing line by beating Denver 129-121 on Monday. Chicago got 41 points from his bench.
“That’s how we’re going to play,” Lavine said. “First unit, the second device – we played with energy, we played through runs. When they (bench players) give us a boost as it is fantastic.”
Chicago went 24 out of 53 on 3-point attempts. Bulls participated in the competition with seven losses in their last eight matches.
“The last five, ten games, the things that have gone down have been, one, our 3-point volume,” Donovan said. “Two, our transition volume and the third part are the potential assistants and the ball movement. If we do not do the three things really well, it is difficult for us. We have to be a team of five to seven guys in double numbers.
Although Celtics is second in the eastern conference, they have played inconsistent basketball this month. Boston is 6-6 in its last 12 matches. Monday’s loss 114-112 to Houston was Boston’s third loss in the last five home games and lost the team’s home record to 15-9. Celtics was 37-4 at home last season.
“I thought we were competing,” said Boston’s Jaylen Brown, who got a team high 28 points against the rockets. “Give credit to Houston. The people we wanted to do hit us. We wanted to get Jalen (Green), Fred (Vanvleet) and (Alperen) Sengun – we wanted to remove them and we achieve it.
Boston played without Derrick White (Shin), Sam Hauser (hip) and Al Horford (toe). White is expected to play Wednesday while Hauser, Horford and Jayson Tatum (knee) are doubtful.
Celtics lost even though he led by 12 early in the fourth quarter. It was the ninth time they have lost a game this season when they had the lead in the fourth and their seventh loss when they had at least a 10-point lead at some point in a game.
“We have to be better in the route and perform,” said Brown. “(Monday night) was not the best example of it, so it’s something we have to look at, for sure.”
One of Boston’s home losses this season came against Chicago, who received a victory 117-108 in Boston on December 19. Lavine got 36 points that night.
Boston won the other two matches between the teams this season, both played in Chicago. Celtics prevailed 138-129 on November 29 and 123-98 on December 21.
Chicagos Coby White (ankle) is doubtful.
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