Celtics Cruise Past Bulls With Pritchard's 26-Point Night

Boston takes advantage of Chicago's injury-depleted roster to win big before the All-Star break.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 124-105 on Wednesday night, led by a 26-point performance from Payton Pritchard. The Celtics carried a 28-point lead into halftime and extended it to as much as 33 in the second half, taking advantage of a Bulls team missing several key contributors due to injuries.

Why it matters

The win keeps the Celtics firmly in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, while the Bulls' sixth straight loss before the All-Star break drops them further down the standings in the crowded East.

The details

Jaylen Brown added 24 points for the Celtics, who have now won six of their last seven games. Nikola Vucevic recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in his second game with Boston since being traded from Chicago last week. For the Bulls, Rob Dillingham had 16 points and seven assists, while Matas Buzelis added 15 points and eight rebounds.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 12, 2026.
  • It was the final game for both teams before the NBA All-Star break.

The players

Payton Pritchard

A guard for the Boston Celtics who scored a game-high 26 points in the win.

Jaylen Brown

A forward for the Boston Celtics who scored 24 points in the victory.

Nikola Vucevic

A center who was recently traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Boston Celtics, recording a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

Rob Dillingham

A guard for the Chicago Bulls who led the team with 16 points and seven assists in the loss.

Matas Buzelis

A forward for the Chicago Bulls who scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the defeat.

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What they’re saying

“We must have been locked in from the start to build such a big lead. Payton was huge for us tonight.”

— Jaylen Brown, Celtics Forward (929theticket.com)

What’s next

The Celtics will travel to face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, February 19, while the Bulls will host the Toronto Raptors on the same night.

The takeaway

The Celtics' dominant win over the short-handed Bulls demonstrates their ability to capitalize on opportunities and maintain their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while the Bulls' sixth straight loss before the break raises concerns about their ability to bounce back in the second half of the season.