BOSTONThe Boston Celtics made a lineup change, inserting Brandon Bass into the starting lineup ahead of Jermaine O'Neal.
New starting five, same old result for the Celtics as a furious second half comeback comes up short as the Chicago Bulls (11-2) pull away for a 88-79 win.
Chicago led the entire game, and seemed well on their way to a relatively easy win.
A jumper by Kevin Garnett ignited a 25-6 Celtics run that cut Chicago's dominate lead down to a single point, 67-66, following a 3-pointer by Mickael Pietrus.
Boston had a chance to take the lead, but Paul Pierce's mid-range jumper rimmed in and out.
Reigning league MVP Derrick Rose scored seven straight for Chicago which included a 3-pointer that put the Bulls ahead, 74-68. He led all scorers with 23 points.
It was clear that all the hard work the C's put into rallying back, left little in the tank when the game mattered most.
Boston Celtics
Once again it was Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen keeping the Celtics afloat while the rest of the C's struggled mightily at both ends of the floor.
Rondo finished with 14 points and 11 assists for his third double-double of the season. He also grabbed seven rebounds. Allen chipped in 14 points which included a pair of 3-pointers. In addition to Rose, Chicago also got a strong game from Luol Deng who had 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.