The Celtics rallied and won in the final seconds. The Bulls battled back after being down for the majority of the game without Lonzo Ball and Zach Lavine, but Boston fought back late and won 114-112. As the game began, the Celtics were behind 7-2, but it didn't take long for them to get back on track against the Bulls, who were badly shorthanded.
Early on, they were able to take advantage of Chicago's general lack of rim protection, with Williams and Schröder igniting the offense with some inside touches. Tatum took over from there, scoring 13 points in the first quarter to push the Celtics to a 32-22 advantage. White scored 19 points in the contest, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. With an efficient 21, Ayo Dusunmu took advantage of the start.