Chicago Bulls storm past Celtics after slow start

The Eastern Conference leading Chicago Bulls roared back from a 13-point first-half deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics 93-86 in a meeting between playoff-bound teams.Luol Deng scored 18 of his season-high 26 points in the second half as the Bulls, playing without Derrick Rose for the 12th consecutive game, outscored the visiting Celtics 55-37 after halftime.“We needed this one,” Deng said after the Bulls won for the first time in three games “We haven’t been playing well and we just played hard.”He had 12 points in the fourth quarter.“(Deng) made a lot of big plays, very good defense,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We needed the scoring. That’s what he provided. He had a tough matchup with (Paul) Pierce.”Pierce led the Celtics with 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 14 rebounds.Boston led 49-38 at halftime but collected a lowly 17 points in the third as Chicago stormed ahead.The outcome convinced Boston coach Doc Rivers that the Eastern Conference remains a two-team race.“It’s still Miami and Chicago,” said Rivers, whose team leads the Atlantic Division. “We believe we can beat anybody.But Chicago had the best record in the East last year and Miami won the East last year. So until someone says something different, it has to be those two teams.”Elsewhere, the New York Knicks beat the beleaguered Orlando Magic 96-80 and the Los Angeles Clippers stopped the Sacramento Kings 93-85.

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Chicago Bulls storm past Celtics after slow start