Celtics Build Early Lead Over Bulls as Jayson Tatum and Chicago's Caleb Wilson Meet in Boston

What happened in Bulls vs. Celtics?

The Boston Celtics took a 66-54 halftime lead over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night at TD Garden, building an early cushion in their first regular-season meeting of 2026-27. Boston led 33-21 after the first quarter, and each team scored 33 points in the second, according to CBS Sports' live game tracker. ^[1]

The game was still in progress when this article was filed. Its final score, complete player statistics and any late developments were not yet known. The NBA's game listing identifies the matchup as a 7:30 p.m. Eastern tip in Boston. ^{[1] [2]}

The contest brought Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson into a matchup with Celtics star Jayson Tatum. CelticsBlog identified the two forwards as one of the notable pairings before tipoff, with Wilson coming in after a 30-point performance against Washington and Tatum after scoring 36 against New York. ^{[3] [4]}

Chicago arrived seeking an answer from deep

The Bulls entered Monday's game 1-2 and searching for more reliable long-range shooting. Through their first three games, Chicago had made 22.6% of its three-point attempts, the lowest mark in the league at that point, Field Level Media reported. The Bulls were averaging 41.3 attempts and 9.3 makes from beyond the arc. ^{[4] [5]}

In Saturday's 124-120 loss to the Wizards, Chicago connected on 12 of 43 three-point tries. Wilson led the Bulls with 30 points but made one of his nine attempts from distance, the report said. Coach Tiago Splitter emphasized that improving the shooting would require a team effort rather than a fix from one player. ^[4]

Chicago also entered Monday allowing 128 points per game through its first three contests, Field Level Media reported. Those figures described a very small early-season sample, not a full-season verdict on a roster that has undergone changes. ^[4]

Boston's early-season reset

Boston came in 1-1 after following a season-opening loss in Detroit with a 107-103 home win over the defending champion Knicks. Tatum's 36 points and nine rebounds led the Celtics against New York; Neemias Queta added 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks, according to Field Level Media. ^{[3] [4]}

The Celtics have adjusted their frontcourt after acquiring center Mitchell Robinson in the offseason. Queta, who started for Boston last season, came off the bench in the Knicks game. CelticsBlog listed Devin Carter as out with illness before Monday's contest; its pregame injury report listed Chicago center Nic Claxton out with a hamstring injury. ^{[3] [4]}

What comes next?

Monday's contest was the first of four scheduled regular-season meetings between the Bulls and Celtics, according to CelticsBlog. Boston was also beginning its first back-to-back of the season, with Brooklyn due at TD Garden on Tuesday. This article will be updated when the result and full statistics are confirmed. ^{[3] [5]}