Let's do this thing! The Bulls square off against Kyrie Irving and the Celtics on Saturday night in Boston on NBC Sports Chicago. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Bulls Pregame Live. Here are three things you should be watching for as the Bulls look to start a new winning streak in Bean Town.
1. Kris Dunn vs. Kyrie Irving
Kris Dunn has played exceptionally well the last two weeks, averaging 16.0 points on 49 percent shooting, 7.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 sterals the last 13 games. It's clear he's the point guard going forward (and well into the future), and now he gets to go toe-to-toe with arguably the best one in the league. Kyrie Irving will get first-place votes on quite a few MVP ballots by season's end, and for good reason. He sat out the last meeting between these two teams at the United Center, but with the Celtics coming off a road loss in New York, Irving is going to be ready to go to get the Celtics back on track. This will be Dunn's toughest test yet, and a good litmus test for just how far along the young point guard is. It's easily the matchup of the night. Dunn understands that the world is round, so he already has a clear mental advantage on Irving.
2. Power forward combinations
The Bulls' power forward situation last year was ominous, and it didn't look like the future held much. Now Lauri Markkanen and Nikola Mirotic are playing inspired basketball, Bobby Portis is delivering a jolt and the position is easily the Bulls' deepest. Markkanen came back to life in the loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday, scoring 25 points, and Nikola Mirotic has been nothing short of All-Star-caliber since returning to the Bulls (everyone relax, he's not an All-Star. Just putting up numbers like it). Fred Hoiberg might not go all that small against the Celtics considering how well Al Horford and Aaron Baynes have played, but he will tinker with some new lineups that should include two of these guys for most of the game. It's when the Bulls offense is at its best. See what he tries out and what works. Mirotic and Portis have been great together; it may be time to see Markkanen and Mirotic together, too.
3. Same competitive spirit?
It certainly isn't easy for a team that is the underdog most nights to continue fighting against superior teams. But it's exactly what the Bulls have done during this stretch of play since their 10-game losing streak. It's such a cliche, but it's also true: the Bulls have been the harder playing team in just about every one of these games. But now they travel to Boston, where the Celtics are 13-4, against a team that has lost two straight and needs to get back in the win column with Toronto and Cleveland closing in on them. The Celtics also want revenge for last week's loss at the United Center. It's obvious the Celtics have the talent advantage, but the Bulls can counter that with continued spirited effort like they've shown the last two weeks. It's a tough ask, but such is life in the NBA.