'Three Alphas' lead Bulls to season-opening victory
CHICAGO -- Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo -- the so-called "Three Alphas" -- led the way for the Chicago Bulls in a 105-99 season-opening victory against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at the United Center.
Wade, who finished with 22 points, hit 4-of-6 from the 3-point line in his first game with the Bulls. Wade hit seven 3s all of last season for the Miami Heat.
His last one Thursday put the Celtics away, draining it over guard Avery Bradley with 26.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter to put Chicago up 104-99. Butler led Chicago with 24 points and Rondo added four points and nine assists.
Power forward Taj Gibson, who earned a starting role to begin the season, had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago. Nikola Mirotic had 15 points off the bench for the Bulls, who dominated the glass 55-36.
Guard Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 25 points, while Bradley had 16 points, Jae Crowder added 14 and Al Horford finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Celtics played their second game in as many days after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 122-117 on Wednesday in Boston.
In the fourth, the Bulls turned a five-point lead into a 95-81 margin with a 9-0 run capped by layup off a strong drive by Butler with 7:05 left in the quarter. Boston responded with a 9-0 run of its own to make it 95-90 on a runner by Thomas with 4:32 left, setting up the exciting finish.
The Celtics outscored the Bulls 20-11 in the first 7:37 of the third to take their first lead 69-68 on a 3-pointer by Thomas. Chicago responded with a 7-0 spurt to retake the lead on a floater by Taj Gibson, a 3-pointer by Butler and a pull-up jumper by Nikola Mirotic with 3:17 left in the quarter.
Mirotic also drained a 3 with 51.1 seconds left, one possession after Brown cut it to 79-76 with a layup, to give Chicago a 79-73 lead starting the fourth.
The Bulls led 57-49 at the half, after getting a combined 28 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and two steals from Wade, Butler and Rondo.
Wade had 14 of those points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3 of 4 from behind the 3-point line, and Butler had 11 points at the half and hit all three of the 3s he took -- including one right before the horn to end the second quarter.
Chicago led the entire first half, building a 15-5 lead in the first 4:29 and pushing it as high as 25-10 on Rondo's 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the first quarter. The Celtics closed to within 30-20 starting the second quarter and got within three points on three occasions before halftime.
Bradley had 12 points and Thomas had 11 points at the half for Boston, which was outrebounded in the first two quarters 29-17.
NOTES: The Bulls announced the signing of free agent G R.J Hunter, who was the Celtics' final cut. Hunter attended Chicago's morning shoot-around Thursday and the game against Boston. ... Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said rookie G Denzel Valentine (ankle) is ready to play and has no limitations. ... Celtics coach Brad Stevens doesn't expect to make any changes in the near future to the rotation he used in Boston's 122-117 season-opening victory Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets. ... Stevens said he thinks Hunter could be a good fit with the Bulls, who could use an extra threat from the 3-point line.