The Celtics' week has been about Jayson Tatum. He went 6-for-23 in the opening loss at Detroit, and that showed the problem with this roster after Jaylen Brown was traded to Philadelphia: there aren't many guys here who are comfortable creating their own shot, so when Tatum is off, the offense has nowhere to go. He was better against New York and closed out a 107-103 home-opener win over the defending champs.
Boston beat the Knicks with its third quarter. It was a 1-point game at the half, and a 33-24 3rd turned it into a 10-point lead. Then New York won the 4th 30-24 and made it close. The Celtics have beaten one good team and nearly let it back in. That's a fine start, and it's not a team that's figured out.
The availability picture is lopsided toward one position on each side. Chicago is still without Claxton at center, so the frontcourt minutes get spread out against a Boston team that will be fully rested. Boston is without Devin Carter, who has mononucleosis and no timetable for a return, which leaves the backcourt short on the other guy who could create offense when Tatum doesn't.
Tipoff is 7:30 PM ET. The matchup comes down to Chicago's offense against Boston's halftime adjustments. If the Bulls shoot like they did in Milwaukee, they can outscore a Celtics team that still doesn't have a reliable second creator. If they shoot like they did in Toronto, they won't stay in it.