Chicago @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2020 ) Boston 111, Chicago 104

The Boston Celtics responded to their longest losing streak of the season with authority last time out and look to build off that performance when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls on Monday night. The Celtics lost three straight contests, the last two by a combined 26 points, before Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 41 to lead the way in a 140-105 demolition of road-weary New Orleans on Saturday.

“Shots were going in. It felt good. I felt like we played with a purpose (Saturday) on both ends, from the beginning of the game,” Tatum told reporters after Boston sprinted to a 17-point lead after one quarter Saturday. “I felt like we did our job. I know we haven’t been playing well lately. It felt good to start the game off right.” The Celtics have won six of the last seven meetings with the Bulls after Tatum scored 28 points to lead the way in a 111-104 triumph on Jan. 4 that preceded losses to Washington, San Antonio and Philadelphia. Chicago was in the middle of a six-game losing streak when it fell to Boston at home a little more than a week ago, and finally snapped the slide Saturday with a 108-99 victory at Detroit as five players reached double figures. “We’ve had success,” Bulls leading scorer Zach LaVine told the Chicago Tribune. “We've just got to hold onto leads and not have those scoring (droughts) that we have. We’ve played with some of the best teams. We’ve seen that. We’ve give up fourth quarter leads. I think we've just got to continue to play our game and learn how to close out games and get the win in the end.”

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Chicago, NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE BULLS (14-26): LaVine got some help Saturday as he was limited to 25 points, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range, but he is still averaging 30.2 with a total of 20 shots made from behind the arc this month. LaVine leads the team in scoring (24.4) with forward Lauri Markkanen (15.3) second while Wendell Carter Jr. adds 11.7 points and a team-high 9.9 rebounds, but the 6-9 center is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with an ankle injury. Luke Kornet, a 7-2 forward, had a season-high 15 points and 6-10 Daniel Gafford chipped in with 14, after managing two in 43 minutes combined the previous two games, to fill in for Carter on Saturday.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (26-11): Tatum has scored in double figures for 28 straight games and averages 21.3 points - second on the team behind only Kemba Walker (21.9, team-high 5.2 assists), who scored 17 and added seven assists versus New Orleans. Guard Jaylen Brown averages 19.9 points, but has struggled with his shooting the past four games while connecting on just 18-for-63 from the field - 7-for-24 from 3-point range. Center Enes Kanter stepped up to produce season highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds against New Orleans after scoring just 14 combined in the previous three contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. LaVine dropped in 35 points, draining 5-of-9 from behind the arc, in the loss to Boston earlier this month.

2. Boston SF Gordon Hayward was 8-of-11 from the field Saturday against New Orleans and is shooting 52.6 percent from the field overall.

3. Chicago PG Kris Dunn entered Sunday ranked second in the league with 2.03 steals per contest, including three against Boston on Jan. 4.

PREDICTION: Celtics 114, Bulls 102