The Boston Celtics held off a a valiant effort from the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, with the C's coming away with a 111-104 victory in Chicago's home floor.
Following his team's defeat, Bulls guard Zach LaVine could not hide his frustration. According to the 24-year-old, what disappoints him the most about the loss is the fact that he believes that his Bulls are currently at the same level as the Celtics talent-wise.
“I’m upset because I think we’re just as good as them,” LaVine said, via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I go out there and I expect us to win. I think we’re competing at a high level with those teams.”
To be fair to LaVine, the Bulls did put forth a very respectable fight against one of the best teams in the East on Saturday. For his part, the 6-foot-6 combo guard accounted for a game-high 35 points (11-of-21 from the field, 8-of-14 from the stripe), two rebounds, three assists, four steals, and zero turnovers in 38 minutes of action. Nonetheless, his heroics were not enough against a determined Boston side.
The Bulls were able to keep it close for the most part of the evening, but the Celtics were just too good come crunch time. This is exactly why LaVine was upset, as he spoke about his team's inability to perform in the clutch.
“We’re just not finishing the game off, and that’s what’s separating us from those top-tier teams,” he added. “We’re not closing out games.”
Chicago will have their next opportunity to prove their caliber on Monday, as they face a tough test against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are another top-tier team, so the Bulls will definitely need to be at their very best against Luka Doncic and company.
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