Luke Kornet ignites the Celtics with a crucial boost in their victory against the Bulls.
The Boston Celtics’ 124-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night showcased a significant discrepancy in three-point shooting. Boston connected on 21 threes compared to Chicago’s nine, marking a 36-point gap between the teams.
However, a closer examination reveals another crucial difference.
Despite the Bulls’ impressive shooting performance at 57.3% from the field, surpassing the Celtics’ 51.2%, Boston dominated the rebounding game. They secured 41 rebounds compared to the Bulls’ 29, with a notable advantage on the offensive boards, leading 12-3.
Despite Chicago boasting two players averaging over eight rebounds per game—Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond, renowned for their rebounding prowess—both were outperformed by Luke Kornet. Al Horford praised Kornet’s contributions, highlighting his relentless energy, key offensive rebounds, tap-outs, and put-backs.
Kornet achieved a career-high 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
In a game where three-pointers were seen as the deciding factor, Kornet’s efforts helped the Celtics outscore the Bulls 23-2 in second-chance points.
Boston capitalized on 13 second-chance opportunities compared to the Bulls’ four. Despite Vucevic tallying only two rebounds and Drummond managing six, with five on the defensive end, Kornet’s impact stood out.
Following the game, Kornet humorously downplayed his rebounding performance, emphasizing the importance of effort and attributing some success to being tall.
While Chicago’s lack of a three-point threat garnered attention, Kornet’s rebounding was instrumental in preserving Boston’s win streak.
