Celtics 71, Bulls 69: Brandon Bass collected 14 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Garnett added 12 and 11 as Boston outmuscled visiting Chicago in a defensive battle.

Jason Terry scored 12 points off the bench and Avery Bradley had 10 for the Celtics, who improved to 8-1 since Rajon Rondo was lost for the season due to a knee injury.

Joakim Noah recorded 10 points and 16 rebounds, Carlos Boozer added 11 and 11 and Marco Belinelli scored 12 points off the bench but the Bulls committed 22 turnovers that led to 20 points.

In what amounted to an offensive explosion in this contest, Boston ripped off a 12-0 run over a 5 1/2-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 59-54 lead with 5:16 left. Jimmy Butler scored four straight points to drag Chicago back into it before Terry responded with a 3-pointer.

Paul Pierce rattled in a 3-pointer with 3:02 left to make it a 65-60 gap and Garnett knocked down a turnaround jumper on the next possession. The Bulls would chop it back down to one point with 10 seconds left but Pierce hit a pair of free throws and Terry blocked a final attempt by Belinelli to seal it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Celtics scored 28 points in the fourth quarter after totaling 19 in the second and third. … Rondo underwent surgery to repair a tear in his right anterior cruciate ligament on Tuesday. Boston G Leandro Barbosa will wait a month before undergoing surgery on his left ACL. … Bulls vice president John Paxson said G Derrick Rose (ACL) will begin playing 5-on-5 after the All-Star break.