The Celtics get the win, another lesson on what ascension through attrition looks like

Boston got the win, but the Bulls' compete level while being severely short-handed is a reminder why they are atop the East while the Celtics (22-22) are fighting these days to just be average.

Injuries and illnesses have ravaged the Chicago Bulls’ roster in recent days.

With a less-than-ideal roster on Saturday night in Boston, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan wasn’t overly concerned about his team’s chances of winning.

“We may not have enough tonight,” he told reporters before the game. “But you want to be able to walk off that court and know you competed at a level and controlled the things you can control.”

They did just that for most of the game, but it still wasn’t enough as Boston rallied for a 114-112 victory capped off by four consecutive free throws in the game’s closing seconds by Robert Williams III along with a pair of last-second defensive stops by Boston’s highly-regarded defense.

The Celtics (22-22) got the win, but the real takeaway for Boston has to be the up-close-and-personal lesson learned in ascension through attrition that the Bulls put on display most of the night.

Like the Bulls, the Celtics have had their share of challenges roster-wise that have created a greater degree of difficulty when it comes to winning games.

But unlike the Bulls, the Celtics far too often used their shortcomings more for a justification in their lackluster play and losses, rather than as a rallying cry to victory.

And that more than anything, is why the Bulls have been the best team in the East this season regardless of who was in or out of the lineup for them, while the Celtics are searching for some kind of identity beyond being a team that can’t close out games, struggles to play consistently and that in term has resulted in them meandering around the .500-mark record-wise all season.

Boston has every reason to feel good about Saturday’s win, the team’s fourth in their last five games. But the real victory for them should be to learn not only from the experience of closing out a game well enough to win but also from the example set by Chicago which remains atop the Eastern Conference even after the loss.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from yet another game in which the Celtics leave in defeat following what was a “should-a, could-a” won kind of game.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: The Celtics kept him on the floor for the entire first quarter, with Tatum dominating play in a way we’ve rarely seen this season. Tatum scored 13 points in the first, the key to Boston ending the quarter with a double-digit lead. For most of the game, Tatum remained the go-to guy for Boston and finished with another double-double, scoring 23 points to go with 12 rebounds along with dishing out four assists.

DeMar DeRozan: The likely starter for the East in next month’s All-Star game, DeRozan did his part in helping carry an injury-riddled Chicago team to the brink of victory. DeRozan had 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, the kind of thing that your best players should do with some semblance of consistency.

STUDS

Nikola Vucevic: Joel Embiid of Philadelphia is hands-down the best center in the East, but a strong case can be made for Vucevic being the next-best big man on that list. Saturday was very much Vucevic doing Vucevic-like things in terms of putting his imprint on the game in several areas. He would finish with a strong game of 27 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Al Horford: If there was a Celtic player due for a breakout performance, Al Horford would be at or near the top of such a list. The veteran big man was about as impactful as we’ve seen him for weeks. He would finish the game with a near double-double of 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, to go with eight rebounds.

Robert Williams III: Time Lord came up with some timely rebounds and points in the fourth, none bigger than the free throws he made with 9.7 seconds to play after being fouled while attempting to grab a defensive rebound. After previously making two free throws that bounced around before going down, the two he made with 9.7 seconds to play hit nothing but net. For the game, Williams had 14 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

DUDS

Celtics’ transition offense: Boston has struggled to score in transition all season, and Saturday’s game was no exception. Boston continues to struggle to find ways to get easy points in transition, evident by them tallying just two, fast-break points against a Bulls team that allows 15.7 fast-break points per game.