Celtics Player Grades vs Chicago Bulls

The Boston Celtics fell to the Chicago Bulls 100-99
ESPN Boxscore

CelticsLife Game Recap

Player Grades:

Kevin Garnett: 16 Points, 7 Rebounds
Garnet had a very tough game tonight. He struggled offensively for most of the night, while he was beaten up by both of Chicago's big men. He came back in the 4th quarter and made some big plays, but it is tough to say anything positive other than that about his play. Having a big body that does not completely suck would have been very useful here.
C+

Brandon Bass: 10 Points, 2 Rebounds
Bass had an up and down game today. He did a decent job offensively, but he really struggled on defense and on the boards. He looked completely clueless on help defense tonight. And his buttery hands let Chicago grab a few more "50-50" balls than they should have. Disappointing effort.
C
 

 Paul Pierce: 13 Points, 6 Rebounds
Terrible game. There is no other way to describe it. He was flat on most of his jumpers, and his shot selection was spotty. He made some smart plays down the stretch, but some stupid ones as well. He also kept losing his man on defense. Probably Pierce's worst game this season.
D+

Rajon Rondo: 30 Points, 7 Rebounds
Rondo had a pretty complete game today. Scored efficiently, played good defense (albeit he played too many bigger people and fouled a lot), and did his best to lead by example. His aggression was great to see tonight, along with his 9 free throw attempts. Rondo did his best tonight, and basically single handily almost won the game. He has got that mid-range jumper down flat, and it was great to see him take them late and make them.
A

Leandro Barbosa: 5 Points, 3 Rebounds
Barbosa did a decent job filling in for the injured Bradley, but he also made some boneheaded plays. He fouled too much on defense (although he did get jobbed by the refs on one call), and he took some poor shots. He was aggressive, but it did not entirely have good results. Not much to write about though, he only played 15 minutes.
B-

Jeff Green: 2 Points, 0 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Blocks
Garbage night. He did absolutely NOTHING. And even worse? His effort was GARBAGE. He stood in the corner most of the time. When he scored on a post up on Deng what happened afterwards? Nothing. He did NOTHING. Even if you are going to suck, I at least want to see some semblance of life or effort. He showed neither tonight.
F

Jared Sullinger: 7 Points, 15 Rebounds
Big time rebounding by Sullinger tonight. The Bulls are excellent on the glass, and Sullinger really busted his butt. He struggled against the length of the Bulls, and his defense was shaky, but it is tough to put such high expectations on a rookie. A lot of heart and attitude from this guy.
B+

Courtney Lee: 7 Points, 6 Rebounds
Courtney showed nice aggression tonight, especially in the 1st quarter, but he struggled with his shot later on. He rebounded well, and generally had a good outing. His defense was shaky however, he kept getting lost on screens. But a night that anyone would take from a role player.
B

Jason Terry: 9 Points
Terry had a decent game tonight, giving us some buckets during crunch time. He did not contribute much in any other area, but hey, points are points. Terry looks uncomfortable without the ball, and you would think that we would go away from Pierce/KG tonight and try and get some more shots. Doc has done a poor job utilizing Terry this year. But Terry has to play well too.
B

Boston Celtics: 99 Points, 42 Rebounds, 15 Assists
The Celtics had a better game tonight than some would guess. On defense, they forced a lot of turnovers and they did an excellent job late in the game. They also kept the rebounding gap small, which is very surprising. On offense, they failed to capitalize on Chicago's turnovers. Other than Rondo, no one could really hit a shot. They missed crucial late game free throws. But Chicago is an elite defense, and we played well enough to win. I do not like blaming refs, but that no-call on Butler's foul of Pierce was atrocious. I think the Celtics would have won if not for that. Therefore it is tough to get too upset over this loss. The Celtics are now on a two-game losing streak, and will try and get back on track in Detroit on Sunday (01/20/13).
B

What did you think of the game tonight? The postgame grades? Sound off in the comments!

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