Celtics on a high
CHICAGO— Daniel Theis scored a career-high 22 points, and the Boston Celtics opened the game with 17 consecutive points while rolling to an easy 133-77 victory over the host Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. It was the Celtics’ largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Jaylen Brown scored a teambest 23 points off the bench, and Jayson Tatum made all four 3point attempts while scoring 18 points as the Celtics won their season-best fifth straight contest. Terry Rozier added 15 points, Kyrie Irving and Semi Ojeleye each scored 13 and Marcus Morris tallied 12 for Boston.
Shaquille Harrison scored a career-best 20 points, Zach LaVine added 11 and Cameron Payne had 10 for the Bulls, who have lost eight of their last nine.
The franchise-worst 56point defeat occurred in Jim Boylen’s third game as coach after replacing the fired Fred Hoiberg.
Boston was 22 of 43 from 3point range as Brown, Ojeleye and Rozier each knocked down three. The Celtics shot 53.8 percent overall.
Wade milestone
In Los Angeles, Dwyane Wade showed he still has his scoring touch.
Wade scored 25 points in his 1,000th career game, leading the Miami Heat to a 121-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The veteran guard was 8 for 21 from the field and 5 for 10 from 3-point range en route to his second-highest scoring total of the season. It came nearly two weeks after he had a season-high 35 points at Toronto on Nov. 25, and one day after he had two points in a win over Phoenix.
“Every time I get an opportunity to do something like this, obviously its’s great and special, but I just want to help this young team win,” Wade said. “When we get wins like this, wins in four of our last five, we’re getting better.”
Wade, who is retiring after this season, will play his final regular-season game in Los An- geles on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He’s still Dwyane Wade,” the Clippers’ Lou Williams said. “Kobe (Bryant) had 60 points in his last game. Those guys have superpowers bro. Every once in a while, you like to see it on TV. You hate that it’s (on) you sometimes.”
Down to 8
The Heat were down to eight players on the second night of back-to-back games on the road, but still had plenty to beat the Clippers, who would have moved into sole possession of the top spot in the Western Conference with a victory.
Justise Winslow scored 21 points and James Johnson added 18 points for the Heat, while Kelly Olynyk added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. had 11 rebounds.
Miami was without guard Josh Richardson, whowas a late scratch because of a shoulder impingement. They also lost guard Tyler Johnson early in the first with a left hip contusion.