The playoff-bound Chicago Bulls is ending its regular season by taking on some of the NBA's bestand the team is showing the growing chasm between it and the league's elite.
On April 6 at the United Center, Chicago (45-35) lost to the Boston Celtics (50-30) 117-94.
Jaylen Brown scored 25 points for the Celtics while Al Horford added 17. The Celtics have won three in a row and are 27-6 since Jan. 22, according to ESPN. They can wrap up the second spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Thursday, April 7, with a victory at Milwaukee.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bullsbut only had 16 points, far below his average. Nikola Vucevic added 13, but had four of the Bulls' 17 turnovers.
The Bulls next host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, April 8.
The Chicago Blackhawks announced that Marian Hossa will sign a one-day contract with the team and officially retire as a member of the Blackhawks organization, the team announced.
Hossa will sign a ceremonial contract at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 7, in the United Center Atrium prior to the 7:30 p.m. game vs. the Seattle Kraken.
A first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2020, Hossa signed with Chicago on July 1, 2009 and helped transform the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups (2010, 2013 and 2015) as one of the elite two-way players in the National Hockey League (NHL). His 26 goals during the 2016-17 campaign with the Blackhawks, his last season in the National Hockey League, was one of 15 20-goal seasons during his 19-year Hall of Fame career.
Among his other career Blackhawk milestones are appearing in his 1000th career NHL game on March 12, 2013; scoring his 1000th NHL point against Ottawa on Oct. 30, 2014; and registering his 500th goal on Oct. 18, 2016.
Hossa hasn't played in an NHL game since 2017, but he stepped away from the game with four years left on his contract due to a progressive skin disorder, NBC Chicago noted. His contract, which was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes, officially ended last season.