The Celtics don’t have to wait long for a second look at the Bulls, and this one comes with a little more weight attached.
Boston hosts Chicago on Friday night in its first group-stage game of the 2026 NBA Cup, just four days after hammering the Bulls 134-99 at TD Garden. The quick turnaround already made the matchup notable. Chicago’s latest collapse made it even more intriguing.
On Wednesday night, the Bulls let a 19-point third-quarter lead slip away against the New York Knicks and lost 133-127. It was a completely different kind of failure than the one they suffered in Boston, but the result was the same: another painful defeat, another trip back to TD Garden, and another chance for the Celtics to take advantage.
Against Boston on Monday, Chicago was never really in the fight. The Celtics took control early, spread the scoring around and rolled to a 35-point win. Two nights later, the Bulls found a different way to lose, as Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Jordan Clarkson added 18 points, with 12 coming in the final period, to help New York storm back.
That leaves Chicago with two glaring issues heading into Friday. One game showed they couldn’t stay close. The other showed they couldn’t finish.
Boston, meanwhile, keeps building.
The Celtics have won three straight since opening the season with a loss to Detroit. Their most recent victory came in dramatic fashion, a 125-124 overtime win over Brooklyn on a game-winning jumper from Jayson Tatum, who poured in 40 points.
That outing was another reminder of what Boston can do when Tatum takes over, but Friday brings a different kind of target. This is also the Celtics’ first chance to make a move in the NBA Cup, a competition they haven’t cracked the way they’d like.
Boston made the quarterfinals in the first tournament in 2023, then failed to get out of group play in the next two editions. This year’s path puts the Celtics in East Group C with Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington.
With each team playing four group-stage games, the opener matters. A dominant start against the Bulls would set the tone before more group play arrives in November.
Tatum’s workload also gives this one a slightly different feel. His 40-point effort against Brooklyn came on the second night of a back-to-back. This time, Boston has had a short break, which gives the Celtics more time to reset after a demanding start to the schedule.
Chicago, though, has to deal with the aftermath of Wednesday’s meltdown and the memory of Monday’s rout. That doesn’t mean Boston should expect another easy night. The Bulls are walking into this game after two ugly losses and know exactly what another setback would look like.
Still, the setup leans toward the Celtics, who have found some rhythm while Chicago is still trying to steady itself.
Friday’s NBA Cup opener tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For Boston, it’s a chance to keep the momentum rolling and open tournament play the right way. For Chicago, it’s about stopping one rough week from getting even rougher.
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It is a familiar kind of boundary-setting from a coach who knows how quickly outside storylines can pull attention away from the work at hand. Boston has opened 3-1 and is trying to turn that start into something more durable, which makes Mazzullas message feel less like a deflection than a reminder that the Celtics would rather define themselves by what they are building now than by what they have already moved past. [Read more 🡒]
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Inside the organization, there is still belief that the production will come as Robinson gets more comfortable and his legs come back. Robinson has been open about his underwhelming start and is motivated to turn it around, which leaves the Celtics in a familiar holding pattern for now: waiting on a player they believe can help, even if the immediate results have not matched the long-term optimism. [Read more 🡒]