BOSTON — The Boston Celtics cruised to a 124-105 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at TD Garden, but the real story wasn’t the final score. It was what Nikola Vucevic said after the game — his first time facing his former team since the blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent him to Boston.
“Having a chance to win big, it’s something I’ve been missing in my career.”
That single sentence from Vucevic landed like a bombshell in Chicago. After 13 NBA seasons, two cities, and just 16 total playoff games, the veteran big man finally admitted out loud what everyone around the league has known for years: he was tired of being stuck on good-but-not-great teams.
The numbers backed up the emotion. Vucevic posted 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 26 minutes. He went 7-for-12 from the field and a scorching 4-for-5 from three — the kind of efficient, two-way night the Celtics have been waiting for from their new center.
Vucevic didn’t hide how personal the night felt.
“I think tonight was a good step forward of where we can get to,” he said. “I felt a lot more comfortable out there, and I think the guys felt more comfortable around me and we’re able to build some good chemistry.”
Even his former coach, Billy Donovan, acknowledged the significance of the move.
“I think he enjoyed his time in Chicago a lot,” Donovan said. “But I think as he looks at the next step of his career, coming here to Boston, I think it’s something that he’ll get a chance to experience that he hadn’t been able to experience throughout his career.”
Joe Mazzulla was equally direct about what Vucevic already brings to the locker room.
“He cares about the details, he cares about wanting to get it right and he wants to win.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points (and sat most of the fourth), while Payton Pritchard poured in 26 off the bench. The Celtics improved to 35-19 and head into the All-Star break in second place in the East.
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For Vucevic, the timing of the break couldn’t be better.
“I think the All-Star could help a little bit just because it’s a lot with the trade,” he said. “You come to a whole new city, a whole new situation, a lot thrown at you. I think it also will do some good to kind of regroup. Give me some more time to kind of study, watch film, and see some things and then refresh for the end of the year.”
After spending his entire career watching the playoffs from home or exiting in the first round, Nikola Vucevic now finds himself on a team built for June basketball. The Celtics have the talent, the coaching, the culture — and now they have a center who’s finally, openly, hungry for a ring.
The All-Star break gives him the rare gift of time. Time to learn the system. Time to build real chemistry. Time to prepare for the stretch run that Chicago could never give him.
Wednesday night was only the beginning. But the quote Vucevic dropped after the game made one thing crystal clear:
He’s not missing this chance.