While Joe Mazzulla insisted that he was not a fan of the All-Star break because he just wants to keep playing, his players welcomed it. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown participated in All-Star weekend, the rest of the Celtics enjoyed some time off to refresh themselves, knowing four months of basketball still remain if they reach their championship goal.

They did not seem worried about losing any momentum after their sizzling start to the season, capped by heading into the break with a 50-point win. And on Thursday, they picked up exactly where they left off.

The Celtics, briefly, were threatened by the Bulls, a potential first-round playoff opponent come April. But they otherwise handled business as they typically have against inferior opponents this season. They did so with one of their favorite formulas – 3-point shooting and defense – which carried them to a mostly stress-free 129-112 victory in Chicago.

Derrick White led the way with 28 points, Tatum had 25 and Brown added 21 as the Celtics ripped the United Center nets by making 23 of their 47 3-pointers. They let go of the rope defensively in the second quarter, but responded the right way and overcame a three-point halftime deficit to secure their seventh consecutive victory.