Much Needed Game 4 Win For C’s: Looking To Take Series Lead

As the Bulls were in the driver’s seat for the first two games of this series against the Celtics, a critical injury to star point guard Rajon Rondo was the domino effect the Bulls did not want to face.

Now after the 104-95 Game 4 victory (series at 2-2), the Celtics are now finding their groove with the Bulls not having an answer at the point guard position. Coach Fred Hoiberg has different mix and matches on his team to see what he can do for replacing Rondo, ultimately leading to Isaiah Canaan getting the most minutes (34) at the point guard position.

The Bulls once again were very active on the boards, collecting 44 rebounds in total, less than what the first two games had for totals, but enough to drive the opposing team crazy. The Celtics responded with the emergence of C Al Horford collecting 15 points and grabbing 12 much needed rebounds, something we haven’t seen the 6’10 center do in the past three games. Coach Stevens also tweaked the starting lineup in Games 3 and 4, allowing veteran swingman Gerald Green to take over the void position that Amir Johnson left from the first two games of this series. Green finished Game 4 with 18 points and 7 rebounds within a 23 minute time frame. Allowing two small forwards in the starting lineup gave Boston an extra shooter along with stretching the floor and playing small ball basketball.

The big star of the night for the C’s was point guard Isaiah Thomas, scoring 33 points in 36 minutes, which propelled Boston to victory in the Windy City. Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley combined for 19 points, but both players logged in more than 34 minutes of basketball (Bradley at 34 minutes, Crowder played 40 minutes). Coming off the bench, Kelly Olynyk gave life to the C’s, adding 10 points of his own with 3 rebounds, while the scrappy Marcus Smart pitched in 5 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, filling up the stat sheet while contributing to his team for the win.

It looks as though Coach Stevens is moving along with his new starting lineup, bumping Amir Johnson to the bench for Gerald Green. With that being said, Game 5 will be played back at the TD Garden this Wednesday, April 26th. Time will be answered soon.