ming off a brilliant June

[panxing18]

With Kyrie Irving ruled out for the rest of the season Andrei Svechnikov Jersey , the Celtics now have a clearer picture of what their roster will look like entering the postseason.

In its 111-104 win over the Chicago on Friday night, Boston showed that at the very least it has a remaining group of players eager to step up and contribute to its injury-torn rotation.

Greg Monroe came off the bench and had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to notch his second career triple-double. Jaylen Brown finished with a career-high 32 points as the Celtics stopped a two-game slide.

It was Boston’s first game since Kyrie Irving was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs because of an upcoming surgery on his left knee.

”Guys were resting, guys are hurt,” Monroe said. ”I guess (the offense) was running through me by default, I guess. But it was just about moving the ball.”

Coach Brad Stevens said his message to the team afterward was that ”everything matters” from this point forward.

With Al Horford and Jayson Tatum given the night off to rest, Boston went deep into its bench against a Chicago team that’s one of the worst in the NBA.

Chicago led by as many as 11 in the first half before Boston trimmed it to 58-55 at the half. The Celtics outscored the Bulls 56-46 over the final two quarters.

Sean Kilpatrick led Chicago with 24 points. Lauri Markkanen added 20 points and five rebounds.

”I thought we went out there and played really hard and put ourselves in a position to be there right at the end,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.

Stevens said the effort of younger players such as Jabari Bird (career-high 15 points) and new addition Jonathan Gibson (nine points) is most encouraging. Gibson, 30, was officially signed out of the Chinese Basketball Association via an injury hardship waiver earlier in the day. He took a red-eye flight to make it in time for tip-off.

”I was triple-teamed all year Authentic JK Scott Jersey , coming out here and being open and being the floor spacer and being able to create for other guys was definitely a great opportunity for me,” he said.

Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis were both ejected late in the third quarter after receiving back-to-back double-technical fouls.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Had a three-game winning streak snapped. … Went 14 of 30 from the 3-point line.

Celtics: Monroe is the first Celtics center to record a triple-double since Robert Parish did it on March 29, 1987. … Bird made his first career 3-pointer in the first quarter. In his first nine career NBA games he had just five points on 1-of-4 shooting. In the first 8 minutes on Friday he scored 11 points, connecting on 5 of his first 8 field goals.

GETTING REST

Stevens said the plan over Boston’s final three regular-season games is give other players rest as well before the start of the playoffs.

”I’d like to get one, possibly two games with our group as is to play before we head in,” Stevens said. ”We’ll manage that as we move forward. Knock on wood.”

STAYING UPBEAT

Stevens said Irving was ”bummed” after his decision to have his latest procedure, which is scheduled for Saturday. It will be his second surgery on the knee in a month, and will remove screws at the site of an infection.

Terry Rozier said Irving was in good spirits when he spoke with teammates.

”It wasn’t affecting him at all. And if it was we wouldn’t know because he’s that type of type of guy he is,” Rozier said. ”He’s still joking. … He’s still making everybody laugh when you come in the room. So you can’t really tell.”

Irving’s long-term prognosis is good, Stevens said.

”The structure of the knee is good. Everything around the knee is good Kerryon Johnson Jersey Lions ,” Stevens said. ”Everybody’s told us from the get-go that it was going to be a full recovery. We just didn’t anticipate having to take the screws out. But that shouldn’t affect him at all as far as a full recovery goes.”

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host Nets on Saturday.

Celtics: Host Hawks on Sunday.

—

More NBA basketball:

OAKLAND, Calif. — The San Diego Padres will attempt to cool down Jed Lowrie and the Oakland Athletics with a pitcher being promoted from the minor leagues when the clubs complete a two-game interleague series Wednesday afternoon.

Right-hander Luis Perdomo (1-2, 8.36 ERA), who has pitched well at Triple-A El Paso after a disastrous April for the Padres, is expected to be added to the 25-man major-league roster in time to duel A’s left-hander Sean Manaea (8-6, 3.3.

Oakland improved to 3-0 in its head-to-head meetings with San Diego this season with a come-from-behind, 6-2 victory Tuesday night in the series opener.

Lowrie had the big blow of the game, a three-run double as part of a five-run sixth inning that allowed the A’s to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 lead.

The big hit came in Lowrie’s return to his natural position, second base, after he had made 14 starts at third base while Matt Chapman was out with a hand injury.

Chapman was reinstated from the disabled list Tuesday and went 0-for-3.

A’s manager Bob Melvin pushed Lowrie for the American League All-Star team even before Tuesday’s heroics Youth Roquan Smith Jersey , hoping his time at third base caught the eye of those who will be selecting the club’s reserves.

“In those games, you never know where they go, and versatility could play a part,” Melvin said. “So I think the fact he played so well at third base might even increase his chances to make the All-Star team.”

Lowrie is tied for third in the American League in RBIs with 59 and tied for sixth in doubles with 25.

He had three hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs when the A’s swept a pair from the Padres in San Diego last month.

The A’s have been on a roll since, winning 13 of their last 16 games to improve to a season-best-tying eight games over .500 (47-39).

Tuesday’s victory raised their interleague record to 6-2 this season.

Perdomo has faced neither Lowrie nor the A’s in his three-year career.

An eight-game winner in 2017, he began the season in the majors, but couldn’t get into the fifth inning in three of his four April starts before being sent to Triple A.

The 25-year-old seemed to regain his form there, going 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 11 starts Royce Freeman Jersey , earning another shot at the bigs.

Perdomo has pitched in nine interleague games (eight starts) and compiled a 4-2 record and 5.63 ERA.

Manaea, meanwhile, is coming off a brilliant June at the big-league level, going 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in five starts.

He won each of his last three starts to finish the month as one of four American Leaguers to go 3-0, joining Toronto’s J.A. Happ, Baltimore’s Dylan Bundy and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber.

Manaea has never faced the Padres, but does have nine starts of interleague experience, having gone 2-5 with a 4.47 ERA.
Womens Orlando Brown Jr. Jersey
_________________
30