The final score of this game, 105-89 in favor of the Celtics, does not accurately represent how much of a complete massacre it was. I watched a decent chunk of the first half, so it was no surprise when I saw their total as they reached intermission: 2 points. 2 points for the whole team in a whole half of NBA basketball. It felt bad watching it, but I think the numerical reality was even worse. Fred Hoiberg was the one who scored the sole bucket, if you’re wondering. He checked himself in the game because he was so fed up with his incompetent players constantly turning the ball over and bricking shots.
Denzel Valentine ended up with 20, somehow, as the Bulls came about as far back as could be reasonably expected of them. 105-89 is a totally normal score that happens all the time in normal NBA games, but don’t be fooled. The Celtics had their way with MJ’s storied franchise, and I bet MJ was feeling it all the way down in Charlotte. This was a deep and hard violation, penetrating all parts of the organization, past and present.