October 31, 2026 at 4:57 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Pritchard's 30 Lead Celtics Past Bulls, 125-111, in NBA Cup Opener

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Boston started its NBA Cup run with a 14-point win over Chicago, with Payton Pritchard scoring 30 off the bench and Jayson Tatum filling the stat sheet.

The Celtics opened their NBA Cup schedule with a 125-111 win over the Bulls, a game that counted toward the tournament as well as the regular season. Boston got the early tournament result it wanted, and Payton Pritchard supplied most of the push with 30 points in 35 minutes.

The Celtics were at home, and they played like it. Five of them scored in double figures, and the Bulls never found a way to turn their own balance into a lead. Chicago had six players with 10 or more, led by Caleb Wilson's 23 points and Norman Powell's 16. Matas Buzelis added 14, Josh Giddey 13, Tre Jones 12 and Noa Essengue 10. That is a lot of scoring to lose by 14.

Jayson Tatum was the name atop the billing, and he did the work without needing to dominate the box score. He finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists over 35 minutes. Paul George was just as useful in 27 minutes, with 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Neemias Queta gave Boston 13 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes, and Mitchell Robinson added 11 points as a starter.

Chicago found some resistance on the glass. Jalen Smith pulled down 12 rebounds, though he scored only five, and Tobe Awaka had seven in 12 minutes. It wasn't enough to offset what Pritchard and the rest of the Boston rotation did on the other end. The Celtics have a tournament win in hand, and the Bulls have a game to make up.

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