The Boston Celtics (4-8, 2-5 home) host the Chicago Bulls (9-6, 7-3 away) on Friday afternoon at TD Garden (1 p.m., CSN). Here's what to watch for:
• Repeat performance? The Celtics posted a 106-101 triumph over the Bulls earlier this month, but Celtics coach Brad Stevens noted that his team can't put much stock in that performance. "Such a unique game -- we didn’t have [Rajon] Rondo or Marcus [Smart], [Derrick] Rose didn’t play. We played really well on both ends of the floor, and then they really made a run late, and their go-to guy late in that game was [Aaron] Brooks. He continues to be a go-to guy off the bench for them. What you see is, as Rose has been in and out of the lineup, and as [Joakim] Noah has been in and out, you see an increase in who they are going to and the two guys that they go to a lot are [Pau] Gasol and [Jimmy] Butler. Butler’s having a great year now. He is playing -- he’s always been a tenacious defender, but his ability to score on the block, his ability to create havoc in a 1-3 pick-and-roll, his ability to drive and get fouled and get to the foul line, he’s pretty close to an All-Star level, if he’s not [already]."
• Injury Watch: Stevens said the team is preparing as if both Rose and Noah will play. Rose strained his hamstring Monday and only played in the first half the next night. Noah (knee) and Taj Gibson (ankle) also sat out Tuesday's loss in Denver. The Celtics will be without Marcus Smart, who has been ruled out as he works his way back from an ankle injury.
• Home is where the heart is: The Celtics have dropped five of their last six overall, including four straight at home. As STATS LLC notes, Boston is trying to avoid its first five-game home losing streak since dropping 13 in a row from Dec. 20-Feb. 9, 2007. Stevens downplayed the notion of home vs. road this week, but did admit, "We'd like to win in front of our fans, there’s no question about that."