The Boston Celtics weren't able to continue their winning streak against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
The C's dropped the grueling, slugfest of a game by a final score of 102-96.
"It was a physical game, a tough game," Brad Stevens said after the loss. "Again, I give [the Bulls] a lot of credit. Temple, Williams, Theis, Vucevic, they were all really physical and made it very difficult for us on our drives and in our rim attacks and even our cuts. They did a good job of getting to our bodies and played really well."
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Unfortunately, it sounds like the physicality could potentially have had a lasting impact on the C's.
Second chances, sloppiness cost C's vs. Bulls
During the game, both Jaylen Brown and Tristan Thompson were seen grabbing at their shoulders and rotating them around. Stevens provided a brief update on their injuries after the game and confirmed that Brown would get his checked out.
Brown's injury may not be much, but it's still noteworthy. The C's can ill afford to lose him for any amount of time. They were already shorthanded during Monday night's contest, as the C's were without the following four players against the Bulls.
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| Player | Reason for absence |
| Kemba Walker | Non-COVID illness |
| Marcus Smart | Non-COVID illness |
| Robert Williams | Left knee soreness |
| Evan Fournier | Health & safety protocols |
If Brown has to miss any time, that will just add another name to the laundry list of C's injuries. Hopefully, both he and Thompson will be okay. They finished the game, so these injuries may not be major.
But for the C's, they certainly bear watching. The team has rarely had their full complement of players available during this season, and they will want a chance to get at least a little trial run with their full rotation before the season ends, if possible.
The good news is that all of the injured C's will get two days off between games for the first time in quite a while, as Boston doesn't play until Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. That could help them on their road to recovery during a long, challenging season.