Wade: Bulls-Celtics will be tougher than typical 1-8 matchup

The Bulls may be heavy underdogs heading into their first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics, but Dwyane Wade isn't expecting Chicago to lie down.

"I think it's going to be a tough series," Wade told K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. "It says 1-8, but I think it's going to be a little tougher than that."

While the Celtics may hold the better record, the Bulls have played Boston tight this year, going 2-2 in four regular-season matchups. After a dismal March, Chicago has bounced back well over the last several weeks, winning seven of its last nine contests heading into the playoffs.

"It's what I play for now, is the playoffs," Wade told Cody Westerlund of CBS Chicago. "82 is a long, grind-out season. I play for this time of the year."

The Bulls will begin their upcoming series with Boston on Sunday at TD Garden.