CHICAGO — A few days into the regular season, the short-handed Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls already are in grind mode.

Emergency starter Evan Turner scored 19 points, one of seven Boston players in double figures, as the Celtics passed an early test with a 106-101 victory on Saturday night. The Celtics did it without Rajon Rondo, who missed his fourth game of the season.

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Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk, left, guards Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah Saturday.

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Celtics: Wednesday night versus Oklahoma City.

Bulls: Monday night versus Detroit.

“Listen, we had to play great tonight, and we did for the better part of the game,” Celtics Coach Brad Stevens said after his team’s third game in four days. “Then Aaron Brooks went nuts at the end. You knew they were going to make a run. I’m just glad we didn’t play a 49-minute game.”

Kelly Olynyk finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, while Jeff Green contributed 14 points.

Brooks led Chicago with 26 points – 19 in the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol added 19 points and nine rebounds.

After Brooks hit a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to pull the Bulls within 99-96, Olynyk split a pair of free throws. Brooks connected on a two-pointer, but Turner, Olynyk and Green answered with two free throws apiece in the final 17 seconds to seal the outcome.

“We just kind of had to weather the storm, make some plays,” Olynyk said. “E.T. hit some big shots. We got some big rebounds and just found a way.”

The game was the fourth for the Bulls in five days and their second straight with injured guard Derrick Rose out of the lineup. As usual, Coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t in the mood for excuses after what he described as a “low-energy” first half.

“No, it was not (because of) four games in five nights,” Brooks offered. “We just played badly. I think they were on the same schedule we had.”

Specifically, Thibodeau was concerned about a 45-38 rebound disadvantage. “We have to do something to change it,” he said.

Joakim Noah had a team-high 11 rebounds but sat out the final 2:03 because of what Thibodeau called “restrictions.” Neither would say whether they were related to a minute’s limitation or complications from Noah’s left knee surgery six months earlier.

“I’m always concerned,”  Thibodeau said when asked about Noah’s health.

The Celtics seized control in the final 6 minutes of the second quarter, which they closed on a 27-8 run to take a 56-41 lead. Avery Bradley scored nine and Turner added six  in the decisive stretch.

Boston bolted to a 12-2 lead at the outset, as Chicago misfired on 10 of its first 11 shots. After a timeout, Gasol sparked a comeback that saw his team connect on 10 of 13 shots to take a 25-20 advantage.

But the Bulls couldn’t sustain the momentum, and when Tyler Zeller scored off Bradley’s lob pass midway through the second quarter, the Celtics took a 36-35 lead that wasn’t seriously threatened until the final minute.

“We have to get a lot better,” Stevens said. “Obviously, we have to get healthy. It was the second night of a back-to-back for both teams. I don’t think they played as well as they’ve played, and I thought we did some really good things, but we have to play more (complete) 48 minutes.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Turner filled in for Rondo, who remained in Boston to have screws removed from his surgically repaired left hand. Rondo could be available for Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City. … Marcus Smart is expected to miss 2 to 3 weeks because of a sprained left ankle and bone bruise, which he suffered in a victory against Indiana on Friday night. “(Smart) feels better, but it’s going to take a couple weeks to get back,” Stevens said. “And that’s hopeful, because sometimes those high ankle sprains are much more difficult than that.”

Bulls: Rose sat out because of sprains in both ankles. Veteran Kirk Hinrich started in his place but went scoreless in 13 minutes. “Just out,” Thibodeau said of Rose’s status. “He’s not ready to go yet. We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”