Bulls look for upset as they renew playoff hostilities with Celtics

The Boston Celtics still don't have Jimmy Butler on their roster after three years of rumor and innuendo, but they're going to be seeing a lot of him for at least the next week.

Though the Celtics and the Chicago Bulls weren't a popular preseason pick for the East's 1-8 playoff matchup, here's what you need to know before their series tips off Sunday.

(Teams tied season series 2-2)

Some have posited that the Celtics are the worst No. 1 seed in several years, perhaps ever. Does that mean a flawed and inconsistent Bulls squad can pull off the upset? In theory, yes. Butler averaged 27 points in Chicago's two wins over Boston, but in the trenches, Robin Lopez and the Bulls also did a good job of containing Al Horford.

The Celtics center averaged just 10 points and five rebounds in the four games - not bad, but not great for a player who's supposed to be a secondary option. The point is this: If the Bulls can limit Isaiah Thomas in any way, they'll force the rest of Boston's ensemble to beat them. The Celtics have yet to get out of the first round in the Brad Stevens era.

Key matchup - Dwyane Wade vs. Avery Bradley

In his Miami Heat swan song during last spring's playoffs, Dwyane Wade had a renaissance of sorts, averaging 21.4 points in 14 games. Can he locate the fountain of youth again? It'll be extremely tough against Avery Bradley, who's historically elevated his already strong defensive game against Wade.

They've got a history

The teams last met in the playoffs in 2009 with the No. 2 Celtics taking out the scrappy seventh-seeded Bulls in seven games. In fact, the Celtics have won all four of their playoff series dating back to 1981 - including Michael Jordan's single-game, postseason-record 63-point explosion in 1986.

It should be an aesthetically pleasing series visually, given the contrasting green and red color schemes. And while the first two games in Boston are scheduled on TNT, don't forget that the Bulls' nutty 20-game winning streak on the network only included games at the United Center during the regular season.

Series schedule