The Celtics lost a heartbreaker to the Bulls on Saturday night, falling 114-111 to Chicago after Bulls guard Kevin Huerter hit a go-ahead 3-point shot with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
Boston trailed for much of the fourth quarter, but Jaylen Brown tied the game up at 111 with a layup with 14 seconds in regulation. However, a miscommunication on pick-and-roll defense by the Celtics on the final possession led to an open 3-point shot for Huerter and the victory for the Bulls.
The Celtics led by as many as eight points in the first half but the Bulls offense helped lead them back into the game in the third quarter with some red hot 3-point shooting. That shooting came up big late again with Huerter as Chicago knocked down 46.7 percent of their 3s (21-of-45) in the victory.
Coby White led eight different Bulls players to double figures with 22 points. Jaylen Brown finished with a game-high 33 points while Anfernee Simons added 21 points off the bench in the loss.
The Celtics now return home for a four-game homestand beginning with a game against the Blazers on Monday night at TD Garden.
Here are four Celtics takeaways from Saturday’s loss.
**Amari Williams gets a surprise start:** The two-way center got rewarded for strong overtime minutes against the Nets on Friday night with the first start of his career. He grabbed two rebounds in six first quarter minutes before Joe Mazzulla opted to roll with his usual centers for the rest of the night. Luka Garza was the first big off the bench but got pulled quickly after rolling his ankle for Neemias Queta. Garza did return to the game but was limited to 14 minutes. Williams’ play may have just been a way to control the minutes of Garza and Queta on a back-to-back but he held up well in his spot minutes for the second straight night. Queta started the second half in place of Williams. The rookie finished with two points, two rebounds and a block in his 10 minutes.
**Jaylen Brown overcomes hamstring woes to carry Celtics offense:** After admitting Friday night that his sore hamstring hampered his performance against the Nets (9-of-27 shooting), the Celtics star erupted for 20 first half points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. He did nearly all his damage inside the arc, bullying smaller Bulls defenders in the midrange and the paint to help carry Boston’s offense. With other starters showing tired legs after the double overtime affair, Brown continued to show why he is an MVP candidate by keeping Boston in the game.
**Anfernee Simons snaps out of shooting slump but doesn’t play crunch time:** The point guard bounced back from a tough shooting night in Brooklyn to give Boston’s offense a jolt. He was the only Celtics player to crack the 20-point mark besides Brown, leading a strong effort from Boston’s reserves. Simons entered the game having missed 14 of his last 17 3-point attempts but he knocked down five of his first 11 against the Bulls, helping Boston to keep up with the Bulls’ uptempo attack. However, Joe Mazzulla opted to close with Payton Pritchard over him during the final six minutes.
**Bulls ride 3-point shooting to a win:** The Celtics defense understandably looked a bit sluggish coming off a tough matchup against Chicago and the Bulls took advantage. The hosts shot over 50 percent from the field and knocked down 19 of their first 36 3-point attempts with eight different players scoring in double figures and knocking down multiple 3-point attempts. Fittingly, the Bulls hit a game-winner from 3-point range to seal their fourth straight win.