Pritchard's 30 Points Sink Turnover-Plagued Bulls
Boston converted 16 Chicago turnovers into 21 points while shooting 56% from the field in the NBA Cup opener.
By Elena Perry ·
Boston opened its NBA Cup schedule with a comfortable win behind Payton Pritchard's 30 points.
Pritchard hit 9 of 17 shots and scored 20 points before halftime, building a lead Boston pushed to 32 points with 1:52 left in the second quarter. Jayson Tatum contributed 26 points in 34 minutes, and Paul George added 18 points with eight assists for the Celtics, who have won four straight games. Boston also scored 56 points inside the paint. Caleb Wilson led Chicago with 23 points, while Norman Powell scored 16 and Matas Buzelis added 14.
The Bulls committed 16 turnovers that Boston converted into 21 points. Chicago shot 38% from the field (35 of 92) and 30% from three-point range (15 of 50). The Celtics did not allow Chicago to trim the lead until the fourth quarter, after Boston's starters had been substituted out.
Chicago lost its fourth consecutive game. The Bulls' handling of the ball has been costly against Boston; in a 35-point loss to the Celtics on Oct. 26, Chicago committed 25 turnovers that produced 39 Boston points. Pritchard scored 28 points in 22 minutes during that Oct. 26 meeting.
Boston visits Orlando on Sunday, while Chicago plays at Philadelphia on Monday.
