Chicago Bulls: Takeaways From Game 1 Win Over Boston Celtics

Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and center Kelly Olynyk (41) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis (5) reacts after making a basket against the Orlando Magic during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Bobby Portis Proves He Can Be An X-Factor

After a respectable 2015-16 rookie campaign in which he averaged 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds, Bobby Portis didn’t see the same amount of playing time this season due to solid play by Cristiano Felicio and the emergence of Paul Zipser.

Throughout what could have been a difficult season for the second-year forward, Portis continued to remain positive while waiting for the opportunity to prove that he in fact belonged in the Bulls’ rotation.

With Nikola Mirotic struggling to make an impact (four points on 1-for-9 shooting), Game 1 proved to be a coming-out party for Portis. In his first-ever playoff appearance, Portis rose to the occasion, scoring 19 points and pulling down nine rebounds in 29 minutes.

His stat line was significant for a couple of reasons: 1) There were only seven instances during the regular season in which Portis scored more than 14 points in a game and 2) Portis nearly outscored the Celtics reserves, who scored a total of just 22 points.

Portis plays the game of his life in Game 1 win over Celtics https://t.co/iLU5pG4Qoa
— ESPNChiBulls (@ESPNChiBulls) April 17, 2017

One of the question marks for the Bulls coming into the playoffs was whether or not any of their younger players could step up and contribute.

As of right now, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

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