CHICAGO — As the Celtics dressed and munched on pizza in the locker room following their 114-111 loss to the Bulls on Saturday night, one long-stemmed red rose sat in each stall.
They were gifts from Bulls legend Derrick Rose, whose No. 1 was retired Saturday, and who now passes the time by running his family’s online flower shop.
The anticipation about Rose’s postgame ceremony created buzz in this sold-out arena, where things have generally been dull in recent years while fans wait for this young team to take a meaningful step.
But for one night, at least, the Bulls turned the United Center into a party again. They sprayed 3-pointers from all angles, none bigger than the last, a dart from the left corner by Kevin Huerter with 0.2 seconds left that sent Chicago to the 3-point win.
The Celtics did not welcome the result, but it was not particularly surprising, either. Just one night earlier, Boston clawed through a chaotic and draining double-overtime win over the Nets.
Guard Anfernee Simons said the team met Saturday afternoon and vowed not to let its predicament turn into an excuse.
“We just wanted to come in here and find a way to win,” he said.
They may have been a few steps slow closing out to the Bulls’ 3-point shooters, but Chicago’s accuracy was unusual regardless. The Bulls connected on 21 of 45 shots from beyond the arc, tied for the highest total by a Celtics opponent this season. Chicago shot 50.6 percent from the field overall.
“Once a guy hits three or four,” Simons said, “you’ve got to be able to adjust pretty fast and make them do something different.”
After playing 46 minutes and registering a triple-double on 9 of 27 shooting against the Nets, Celtics star Jaylen Brown said that hamstring tightness had reduced his usual burst and kept him from exploiting matchups against Brooklyn’s slower big men.
The injury, the heavy workload, and the quick turnaround made it appear unlikely that Brown would suit up Saturday. But he was active and tallied 33 points in a game-high 37 minutes.
Brown said the tightness remained Saturday, but he believes it can be helpful because it is forcing him to find ways to be effective when he does not have his explosiveness. He is more aware of controlling his movements and using skill rather than sheer force.
The stat line made it tough to argue with his approach, but it is debatable whether it is a wise long-term plan, particularly with the Celtics well-positioned to be top-four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Brown has had extensive discussions with the Celtics’ medical staff, but insisted that he makes the final decision regarding his availability. After spending several minutes touting the benefits of finding new ways to score when limited, he acknowledged that the bigger picture is important, too.
“I want to play, but at the same time, you’ve got to be smart over the course of a season,” Brown said. “You don’t want to play one game and risk being out for five to 10, you know what I mean? So, you know, sometimes I need those guys to protect me from me.”
Neither team held a double-digit lead Saturday, with mild runs by each side smothered before they could become damaging.
The Bulls led, 111-107, when Brown was whistled for an offensive foul with 3:02 remaining. He spun through the lane for a layup as he was fouled with 2:23 left but missed the ensuing free throw. On Boston’s next possession he had the ball stripped away, and with 40 seconds left, he spun and left a shot short inside.
Time and again, though, the Bulls were unable to capitalize. Their best chance to extend the lead came with 20 seconds left, when Coby White missed a layup and Jalen Smith’s putback dunk attempt rattled in and out.
This time, Brown raced upcourt for a layup that tied the score at 111 with 14.2 seconds to play.
With everyone standing and cellphones recording, Josh Giddey ran the clock down before Coby White slipped a screen and found an opening on the left arc. Giddey swung him the ball, and Sam Hauser and Derrick White closed in on White simultaneously, leaving Huerter, an elite shooter, alone in the left corner. Brown later called it a busted coverage.
Huerter hit the shot and left the Celtics no time to recreate Hugo González’s catch-and-shoot stunner that forced overtime against Brooklyn.
“I think the theme of really the last 48 hours was execution,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We’ve had some moments of good execution, and we’ve had some moments of execution where we can get better.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.