March 12th, 2022– With their gritty win last night, the Boston Celtics still sit in the fifth seed in the east. Despite this, they sit the same amount of games back from first at the fourth seed, Chicago Bulls. If the playoffs started today, the two historic franchises would match up in round 1. Let’s dive into their history and how these teams match up this year.
Playoff History
NBA fans know of the Celtics and Bulls history. In the ’80s, the Celtics dominated a pre-Jordan era Bulls four games to zero in the 1981 Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In 1986 and 1987, Larry Bird‘s Celtics went for back-to-back first-round sweeps of Michael Jordan‘s Bulls. However, Michael Jordan set a record of 63 points in a 1986 playoff game that still stands today.
It was not until the 2009 playoff when the Bulls got their first victory in a playoff game against Boston. The first round series went to seven games despite Boston hosting the big three, better known as Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. A rookie by the name of Derrick Rose led the Bulls into battle at just 20 years of age. This series featured a staggering seven overtime periods. This includes triple overtime in a 128-127 win in Chicago’s favor to force game seven.
Finally, their latest matchup was in the 2017 first round, where the eighth seed Bulls jumped quickly to a 2-0 lead on the one seed Celtics. After Rajon Rondo faced a fractured right thumb injury in a game three loss at home, his former team pounced on the Bulls. Isaiah Thomas led Boston to four straight wins. In the Celtics and Bulls history, Boston has won 18 of 23 playoff games against Chicago.
Potential Playoff Series?
The two teams would battle if the playoffs started today; however, they don’t. We still have 35 days and plenty of games until then. With both these teams only a game and a half out of second place in the east, things can change. For this, let’s talk about how the two teams stack up.
In every playoff series between the two, Boston held the homecourt advantage. Just like those series before, homecourt could be huge. Both teams have 24 home wins this year, Boston with 11 losses and Chicago with 10. However, both teams pack mediocre road records. The Bulls sit at 16-16 and the Celtics aren’t any prettier at 17-16. According to Tankathon, these squads have two of the four hard schedules remaining in the NBA. An elite stretch of basketball will be needed for both teams, which the Celtics have already found. Previously, I explain the Celtics’ turnaround and this could play into them climbing the east. The Bulls, however, are .500 in their last ten.
How They Stack Up
In early November, Boston held a 14-point lead before Chicago outscored them 39-11 in the fourth. This was before Boston’s historic turnaround in 2022. The Celtics beat the Bulls 114-112 in January. Despite the Bulls having no Zach Lavine, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso, a two-point lead is all they could muster. The Celtics are even better than they were then. This is mainly due to defense and Jayson Tatum‘s play moving him to sixth on the MVP ladder.
https://t.co/wWGNmWnCY9’s updated MVP Ladder:
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 11, 2022
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Joel Embiid / Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Ja Morant
5. DeMar DeRozan
6. Jayson Tatum
7. Luka Doncic
8. Stephen Curry
9. Devin Booker
10. Chris Paul
Both of these teams rank top 15 in offensive rating, Chicago in fifth and Boston in 12th. The difference-maker is on defense. Boston holds the third-best defensive rating in basketball while Chicago sits at 20th due to their duo of Ball and Caruso being out. Boston’s grit and ability to switch could cause problems for the Bulls. Switching goes the same for offense, as Tatum will find his spots and matchups at will.
Let’s not sleep on the Bulls though. Demar Derozan has been playing at an MVP level just like Tatum. He also has two of the league’s best defenders in Ball and Caruso to his side. Of course, his main running mate, Zach Lavine, is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. The Bulls got the firepower to match Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum with the defenders to cause havoc.
Home Stretch
It seems like a historic playoff series could be approaching as the season winds down. Two historic franchises looking to climb the ranks, but could find themselves staring each other in the eyes first round. The Celtics and Bulls history could be made again.
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