Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have the best chances of winning it all this season. As the second half of the 2023-24 campaign comes to an end, Boston maintains the best record in the league with 56 wins and 14 losses. They are currently on an eight-game win streak beating the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns along the way. They have clinched a playoff spot and they’re the only team with over 50 wins.
The Boston Celtics this season:
1st In ORTG
2nd in DRTG
1st in NETRTG
1st in RPG
1st In 3PM
3rd in 3P%
2nd in BLKS
2nd In TOV
2nd In PTSOne of the greatest seasons of all-time. pic.twitter.com/nWWSqnmYNX
— JrueMuse (@JrueMuse4) March 16, 2024
Boston is currently on a six-game road trip, and their upcoming opponents will be the Chicago Bulls. The latter has had their fair share of struggles this season. Now, they rank 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 34-36 record. While they are below .500, the Bulls are still in the run to make a Play-In Tournament appearance. They will host the Celtics at the United Center.
Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable for the Bulls vs Celtics game
Yesterday, Jayson Tatum was ruled out against the Detroit Pistons due to ankle impingement. The Pistons were an easier matchup and the Celtics walked away with an easy victory. Boston has not updated Tatum’s availability for the Bulls game. However, they have a good 11-game lead ahead of the Bucks in the East.
#NEBHInjuryReport update:
Jaylen Brown – AVAILABLE
Sam Hauser – AVAILABLE
Al Horford (left big toe sprain) – OUT
Kristaps Porzingis – AVAILABLE
Jayson Tatum (right ankle impingement) – OUT https://t.co/J1WdhAAC2n— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 22, 2024
Boston Celtics Injury Report:
- Jayson Tatum (Questionable)
- Al Horford (Out)
- Jrue Holiday (Out)
Boston Celtics Expected Lineup:
- Payton Pritchard
- Derrick White
- Jaylen Brown
- Xavier Tillman
- Kristaps Porzingis
Chicago Bulls Injury Report:
- Alex Caruso (Probable)
- Coby White (Probable)
- Lonzo Ball (Out)
- Julian Phillips (Out)
- Patrick Williams (Out)
- Zach LaVine (Out)
Chicago Bulls Expected Lineup:
- Coby White
- Ayo Dosunmu
- Alex Caruso
- DeMar DeRozan
- Nikola Vucevic
Ayo Dosunmu over the last 3 games:
30.7 PPG
7.0 APG
2.0 RPG
1.7 SPG
63% FG
57% 3P
100% FT https://t.co/umLbja1Obi pic.twitter.com/2ThHWn1MyI— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 22, 2024
The Bulls have faced an array of injuries this season but the one that crippled them the most was losing Zach LaVine. Recent updates claim that LaVine has made more progress than expected following ankle surgery. Other than him, losing Caruso and White could hurt them on both ends of the floor.
The Celtics still have an advantage over the Bulls without Jayson Tatum
The Celtics have secured a 4-1 record without Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Even without their MVP player, the Celtics have enough talent to replace him. Besides Jaylen Brown, Latvia’s very own Kristaps Porzingis averages 20.3 points per game. He also leads the team in various defensive aspects.
Saturday night hoops in Chi-Town 🔥
🆚 @Celtics vs. @ChicagoBulls
📺 8 PM ET | NBA TV pic.twitter.com/4yr784Sfmr— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 23, 2024
This will be a much easier matchup for the Celtics considering the holes on the Bulls’ roster. Despite having two well-rounded All-Stars DeRozan and Vucevic in the lineup, they do not have as much depth as the Celtics. Boston has the best net rating in the league while the Bulls rank somewhere in the middle. The Celtics are 2-0 against the Bulls this season and they have an 81.1% chance of winning according to ESPN.