Porzingis Shines with Season-High 34 Points as Celtics Dominate Bulls

BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 of his season-high 34 points in the first half, leading the Boston Celtics to a commanding 122-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis was unstoppable, making a season-best eight 3-point shots in 14 attempts and grabbing 11 rebounds over 33 minutes. Jayson Tatum added 28 points, while Jaylen Brown contributed 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics, who have been inconsistent lately with a 7-6 record in their last 13 games.

DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 16 points in 31 minutes, marking his return after missing four straight games due to an ankle injury. The Bulls, who have lost eight of their last nine games, were without their leading scorer, Zach LaVine, who missed the game for personal reasons.

Tatum’s back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the third quarter extended Boston’s lead to 86-62, their largest of the game. The Celtics were focused from the start, opening a double-digit lead just over two minutes into the game, following a frustrating two-point loss to Houston earlier in the week.

The Bulls struggled without LaVine’s team-high 24.0 points per game, particularly during a 13-0 run by the Celtics in the second quarter that pushed their lead to 19 points. Brown scored nine points during that stretch.

Porzingis set a season-high in made 3s for a game by connecting on six in the first half alone. The Celtics’ dominance was evident as they outscored the Bulls in every quarter.

The Bulls will continue their three-game road trip with a game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, while the Celtics will begin a three-game trip with a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, also on Friday.