Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls

LaVine scores career-high 42 as Bulls top Celtics 126-116

Consider this quite a change.

Zach LaVine scored a career-high 42 points, Lauri Markkanen finished with a personal-best 35 points and 15 rebounds, and the Bulls got some payback with a 126-116 victory over the Celtics on Saturday night.

"That's in the past, a couple of months ago," Markkanen said. "We had it in the back of our minds. We didn't talk about it too much. The coaches didn't say anything about it."

LaVine and Markkanen became the first Chicago teammates to score 35 or more in the same game since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen each had 37 points at Phoenix on Nov. 20, 1996.

LaVine surpassed his previous high of 41 at New York on Nov. 5. Markkanen, whose best coming in was 33 against the Knicks last season, became the fourth Chicago player in 10 years to score 20 or more in eight straight games. And the Bulls won their season-high third in a row while returning the favor for a 133-77 beating at the United Center in December that was also the biggest romp in the Celtics' storied history.

Kyrie Irving led Boston with 37 points and 10 assists. Al Horford scored 19, but the Celtics lost for the fourth time in six games.

"You're going to have clunkers in the NBA," coach Brad Stevens said.

This was one. But Irving isn't concerned the Celtics' struggles will carry into the playoffs.

"No," he said.

Why not?

"Because I'm here," Irving said.

PULLING AHEAD

The Bulls went on an 18-3 run to start the second quarter, wiping out a five-point deficit, and got up by as much as 15 in the first half before taking a 64-51 lead to the locker room.

They scored eight straight early in the third to go up 72-53, Robin Lopez's hook and floater capping that spurt. Markkanen's 3 made it 87-62 with 6:25 left in the period, and the Bulls withstood a push down the stretch.

Irving hit a 3 to cut it to 94-86 early in the fourth. But Markkanen answered with one of his own, then drove for a three-point play to make it a 14-point game with 9:28 remaining.

LOOKING BACK

It was a big change from the previous meeting, when Chicago's starters got benched for about the final 20 minutes in what was Jim Boylen's third game as coach after replacing the fired Fred Hoiberg. Some players raised the possibility of boycotting practice the following day. Instead, they held a players-only meeting and another with coaches and management.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Boylen had no update on F Otto Porter Jr., who sat out the second half because of a strained lower left leg. ... The Bulls outrebounded the Celtics 49-32 and made 20 of 21 foul shots. ... Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy got a standing ovation when he was shown seated along the baseline during a timeout late in the first half.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Visit the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

Bulls: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

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Regular Season Series

BOS wins series 2-1