BOSTON -- — Anfernee Simons scored 27 points, Payton Pritchard had 21 and the Boston Celtics held the Chicago Bulls to 33 points in the opening half of a 115-101 victory on Monday night.

Neemias Queta added 13 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, which won its fourth straight game and for the eighth time in nine games.

Jaylen Brown was held to 14 points on 6-of-24 shooting, one game after tying his career-high with 50 points in a victory at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Matas Buzelis scored 26 to lead the Bulls, who were nearly held under 100 points in their second straight loss after falling at home against Charlotte on Saturday.

The Celtics led by 21 points at halftime and weren’t threatened by the cold-shooting Bulls until a modest charge in the closing five minutes. Chicago was missing leading leading scorer, Josh Giddey, (hamstring).

The Bulls cut it to 106-96 on Nikola Vucevic’s 3-pointer with 3:34 to play. Chicago didn’t reach the 100-point mark until just over a minute left.

Boston led by 17 at the end of one quarter and despite shooting only 32.7% late in the second quarter pushed its advantage to 49-27 on Brown’s short jumper in the lane.

Pritchard hit a fadeaway 3 at the buzzer, making it 54-33 at halftime.

The Bulls were threatening a team-record low points for a half (23, set against Miami on April 10, 1999) before Jevon Carter hit a pair of late 3s. Chicago missed 20 of its first 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Boston wasn’t much better, making only 5 of its first 19.

It was the fewest points the Celtics had allowed in a first half this season.

Up next

Bulls: At Detroit on Wednesday.

Celtics: Host Denver on Wednesday in the second of a four-game homestand.

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AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Nikola Vucevic vs. Neemias Queta (Payton Pritchard gains possession)	0	0
11:43	Jaylen Brown misses 19-foot pullup jump shot	0	0
11:40	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	0	0
11:22	Isaac Okoro misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:20	Jaylen Brown defensive rebound	0	0
11:07	Payton Pritchard misses driving floating jump shot	0	0
11:06	Neemias Queta offensive rebound	0	0
11:06	Neemias Queta misses tip shot	0	0
11:05	Neemias Queta offensive rebound	0	0
11:05	Neemias Queta misses tip shot	0	0
11:04	Neemias Queta offensive rebound	0	0
11:04	Neemias Queta makes tip shot	2	0
10:40	Kevin Huerter out of bounds bad pass turnover	2	0
10:25	Jaylen Brown makes 9-foot driving floating jump shot (Payton Pritchard assists)	4	0
10:05	Matas Buzelis makes 26-foot three point jumper (Nikola Vucevic assists)	4	3
9:53	Sam Hauser misses 25-foot three point jumper	4	3
9:50	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	4	3
9:44	Kevin Huerter makes two point shot (Tre Jones assists)	4	5
9:27	Payton Pritchard misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	4	5
9:25	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	4	5
9:20	Tre Jones misses two point shot	4	5
9:18	Neemias Queta defensive rebound	4	5
9:10	Neemias Queta misses 10-foot floating jump shot	4	5
9:07	Matas Buzelis defensive rebound	4	5
8:56	Kevin Huerter misses 25-foot three point jumper	4	5
8:52	Celtics defensive team rebound	4	5
8:38	Derrick White misses 25-foot three point jumper	4	5
8:37	Neemias Queta offensive rebound	4	5
8:36	Neemias Queta makes tip shot	6	5
8:24	Matas Buzelis makes 5-foot layup (Nikola Vucevic assists)	6	7
8:01	Payton Pritchard misses 10-foot two point shot	6	7
8:01	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	6	7
7:54	Nikola Vucevic misses 28-foot running jump shot	6	7
7:54	Tre Jones offensive rebound	6	7
7:46	Tre Jones misses 26-foot three point jumper	6	7
7:46	Jaylen Brown defensive rebound	6	7
7:28	Jaylen Brown misses 15-foot pullup jump shot	6	7
7:25	Matas Buzelis defensive rebound	6	7
7:22	Matas Buzelis makes two point shot	6	9
7:04	Derrick White makes 15-foot driving floating jump shot	8	9
6:35	Tre Jones bad pass turnover (Derrick White steals)	8	9
6:32	Sam Hauser makes 27-foot running jump shot (Derrick White assists)	11	9
6:12	Isaac Okoro bad pass turnover (Neemias Queta steals)	11	9
6:08	Tre Jones shooting foul	11	9
6:08	Celtics Full timeout	11	9
6:08	Luka Garza enters the game for Jaylen Brown	11	9
6:08	Hugo Gonzalez enters the game for Payton Pritchard	11	9
6:08	Anfernee Simons enters the game for Neemias Queta	11	9
6:08	Coby White enters the game for Kevin Huerter	11	9
6:08	Ayo Dosunmu enters the game for Tre Jones	11	9
6:08	Lachlan Olbrich enters the game for Isaac Okoro	11	9
6:08	Patrick Williams enters the game for Nikola Vucevic	11	9
6:08	Derrick White makes free throw 1 of 3	12	9
6:08	Derrick White makes free throw 2 of 3	13	9
6:08	Derrick White makes free throw 3 of 3	14	9
5:54	Luka Garza blocks Matas Buzelis 's 6-foot driving layup	14	9
5:54	Bulls offensive team rebound	14	9
5:45	Patrick Williams makes 11-foot turnaround jump shot	14	11
5:28	Derrick White misses 28-foot three point pullup jump shot	14	11
5:25	Patrick Williams defensive rebound	14	11
5:10	Matas Buzelis out of bounds lost ball turnover	14	11
4:59	Hugo Gonzalez makes 27-foot three point jumper (Derrick White assists)	17	11
4:41	Coby White misses 25-foot three point jumper	17	11
4:38	Sam Hauser defensive rebound	17	11
4:33	Sam Hauser makes 26-foot running jump shot (Derrick White assists)	20	11
4:20	Bulls Full timeout	20	11
4:20	Julian Phillips enters the game for Matas Buzelis	20	11
4:06	shot clock turnover	20	11
3:55	Sam Hauser misses 28-foot three point pullup jump shot	20	11
3:53	Hugo Gonzalez offensive rebound	20	11
3:53	Hugo Gonzalez misses 1-foot tip shot	20	11
3:52	Luka Garza offensive rebound	20	11
3:51	Luka Garza makes two point shot	22	11
3:43	Hugo Gonzalez personal foul	22	11
3:43	Jordan Walsh enters the game for Sam Hauser	22	11
3:37	Julian Phillips makes 27-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)	22	14
3:21	Anfernee Simons bad pass turnover (Julian Phillips steals)	22	14
3:10	Lachlan Olbrich misses 23-foot three point jumper	22	14
3:06	Julian Phillips offensive rebound	22	14
3:05	Julian Phillips misses tip shot	22	14
3:04	Jordan Walsh defensive rebound	22	14
2:56	Anfernee Simons misses 25-foot three point jumper	22	14
2:53	Lachlan Olbrich defensive rebound	22	14
2:41	Coby White misses 25-foot three point jumper	22	14
2:38	Jordan Walsh defensive rebound	22	14
2:32	Anfernee Simons misses 23-foot running jump shot	22	14
2:29	Hugo Gonzalez offensive rebound	22	14
2:28	Anfernee Simons misses 26-foot three point jumper	22	14
2:25	Coby White defensive rebound	22	14
2:20	Ayo Dosunmu misses 25-foot running jump shot	22	14
2:19	Celtics defensive team rebound	22	14
2:19	Lachlan Olbrich loose ball foul	22	14
2:19	Payton Pritchard enters the game for Derrick White	22	14
2:19	Jaylen Brown enters the game for Hugo Gonzalez	22	14
2:19	Nikola Vucevic enters the game for Patrick Williams	22	14
2:19	Isaac Okoro enters the game for Lachlan Olbrich	22	14
2:07	Coby White shooting foul	22	14
2:07	Luka Garza makes free throw 1 of 2	23	14
2:07	Luka Garza makes free throw 2 of 2	24	14
1:56	Nikola Vucevic misses driving floating jump shot	24	14
1:53	Luka Garza defensive rebound	24	14
1:48	Ayo Dosunmu blocks Payton Pritchard 's 4-foot running layup	24	14
1:46	Coby White defensive rebound	24	14
1:43	Isaac Okoro misses 23-foot running jump shot	24	14
1:43	Jordan Walsh defensive rebound	24	14
1:26	Jordan Walsh makes 8-foot two point shot (Jaylen Brown assists)	26	14
1:11	Nikola Vucevic misses 24-foot three point jumper	26	14
1:08	Payton Pritchard defensive rebound	26	14
59.9	Payton Pritchard makes 25-foot three point jumper	29	14
43.9	Ayo Dosunmu misses 25-foot three point jumper	29	14
39.9	Celtics defensive team rebound	29	14
34.4	Payton Pritchard makes 11-foot pullup jump shot	31	14
10.0	shot clock turnover	31	14
4.4	Ayo Dosunmu personal take foul	31	14
4.4	Sam Hauser enters the game for Jordan Walsh	31	14
0.4	Payton Pritchard misses 13-foot pullup jump shot	31	14
0.4	Celtics offensive team rebound	31	14
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	31	14

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

TD Garden

Boston, MA

Date & Time

12:30 AM, January 6, 2026

Coverage

CHSN, NBC Sports BO, NBA League Pass

Attendance

19,156

Referees

Jenna Schroeder, J.B. DeRosa, Nate Green

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	38	13	.745	W1
Cleveland	32	21	.604	W3
Chicago	24	29	.453	L4
Milwaukee	21	29	.420	W3
Indiana	13	39	.250	L3

2025-26 Atlantic Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Boston	34	18	.654	W5
New York	33	19	.635	L1
Toronto	31	22	.585	W1
Philadelphia	30	22	.577	W1
Brooklyn	14	37	.275	W1

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Simons scores 27 points, Pritchard adds 21 as Celtics cruise past Bulls 115-101

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