Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen is already making some bold moves just a week into his new job. The former associate head coach quickly hooked his entire starting five with over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter as the Boston Celtics raced to a 13-0 lead. He also pulled the plug on them just three minutes into the second half, as none of the starters saw playing time thereafter.
Following the game, Boylen explained why he opted to roll with the second and third units during the second half of the embarrassing blowout, per Tom Webber of Sporting News:
“I wanted to give the other guys a chance to see if they could right the ship a little bit. I've been a part of teams that have done that before; don't like the five guys out here, don't like that combination, look at a new combination, take them all out, let them sit there and think about it.
“We didn't honor the game very well with our effort and our competitiveness, so why not take them all out? We're a team, so sub five guys and see what they can do.”
Boylen, who was promoted to head coach following Fred Hoiberg's dismissal last Monday, was clearly sending a message to his starters as none of them saw more than 20 minutes of playing time throughout the game. Nonetheless, the move gave the opportunity for undrafted guard Shaquille Harrison to score a career-best 20 points, as he also led Chicago in total minutes played, with 29 off the bench.
Chicago endured their worst defeat in franchise history, losing by a record 56 points at the hands of the streaking Celtics. With the loss, the Bulls dropped to 6-21 on the season.
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