It took a few extra minutes to pull it off, but the Celtics are once again in the driver's seat, defeating the Bulls 106-104 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round matchup with Chicago. If you're surprised this game went down to the wire, well, how's that rock you've been hiding under? Four of the five games have been decided by three points or fewer, and three have gone longer than 48 minutes. Rajon Rondo was once again phenomenal, coming just two boards shy of a triple-double (he finished with 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds) but it was Paul Pierce who put this game on ice for the Celtics, scoring 14 of his 26 points after the third quarter, including Boston's final six points in overtime.
The Bulls, as you'd expect, had their chances late. Brad Miller had a chance to the game at the free throw line with two seconds remaining but missed both of his free throws. He missed his second attempt on purpose trying to create an opportunity for an offensive put-back, but the ball was called dead when he missed the rim completely, effectively sealing the win for the Celtics.
Oh, and remember how Ben Gordon was supposed to be questionable with a sore hamstring? He ended up playing 51 minutes, making up for a 6-21 performance from the field by shooting 11-12 from the free-throw line, including three straight to tie the game at 104 all after he was fouled by Tony Allen on a desperate three-point heave.
That was hardly Gordon's lone clutch moment of the night: he hit an off-balance 17-footer with 27 seconds left in regulation to give the Bulls a 93-91 lead. It was a ridiculously awkward looking shot that had Bulls fans everywhere cringing (even TNT announcer Doug Collins wondered aloud, "what is he doing?" as he released it) -- up until the moment it went through the net.
The Celtics are obviously in control of the series, but they still need to be careful heading into Chicago for Game 6 on Thursday. For one, Ray Allen continues to be terribly inconsistent: he managed all of 10 points in 26 minutes before fouling out with five and a half minutes left in the fourth. Allen has come up big twice in this series -- 30 points in Game 2 and 28 points in Game 4. In the other three games, he's barely averaging double-digits (10.6 points).
With him struggling through yet another off game, it took magnificent efforts from Rondo, Pierce, Glen Davis (21 points, six boards) and Kendrick Perkins (16 points, 19 boards, seven blocks) to squeak by with a two-point win in overtime. The bench combined to score just five points, and considering the elevation of Davis to the starting lineup and the loss of Leon Powe to injury, that may be all Boston can realistically expect from their reserves the rest of the way.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-28-2009 @ 11:38PM
Bruce Horwitz said...
Kevin Garnett is a chump. No, the Bulls are going nowhere and yes, they have a number of issues. The trash talking by Garnett showed the ugly, unprofessional side of pro sports and made Garnett look like a loser. I hope he enjoyed the one world championship. The Celtics will not win it this year and I hope he never wins another.
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4-28-2009 @ 11:58PM
George said...
Where are you from?
4-29-2009 @ 2:34AM
dj kahn said...
Yeah, everyone who is not from Minnesota or Boston seems to despise Garnett, and for all the wrong reasons. Remember when players were supposed to show passion,and do everything in their power (aside from cheating) to gain a competitive edge on the opposition? Yeah, those were the days.
I'd like to know which roster of highly enlightened, zero-win Buddhist monks you root for...
4-29-2009 @ 2:37AM
dj kahn said...
also, if Garnett's behavior is "the ugly, unprofessional side" of sports, please direct me to the nearest gumdrop tree or unicorn migratory path.
4-29-2009 @ 2:05AM
Dr Huxtable said...
How was that not a flagrant on Rondo?
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4-29-2009 @ 3:43AM
NachoD said...
Interesting column Mr. Watson. It's amazing how nowhere on this column is there the mention of Rondo flagrantly clocking Brad Miller without even making a play for the ball. I believe a tooth was knocked out and there was quite a bit of blood. Can you please in your infinite wisdom let me know why that was not a flagrant?
Miller was in no condition to be shooting free throws after that mugging. There should have been a technical foul called on that. I think the refs were just a little too chicken to make such a call in front of the home crowd. I was really hoping that Miller would have been on the floor for the last Celtics possesion so he could floor Rondo. Oh well, we still have game six. This will definetely be must-watch TV.
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4-29-2009 @ 8:11AM
abnyc said...
Yeah, Miller was in no condition to be shooting free throws after the foul. That's why he couldn't even hit the rim on the intentional miss. Or the urinal in the locker room after the game. LOL.
See, the refs were too "chicken" to call the foul but they weren't too chicken to overlook Gordon's foot when it stepped out of bounds before he threw up that desperation three-pointer which drew the foul.
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4-29-2009 @ 9:46AM
keithstbird said...
This is pothetic the celtics are being challenged by one of the worst teams in the league kg does not do that much for the celtics and I do not understand why the celtics are not blowing out the bulls. Kg has made an ass out of himself this whole series acting like an idiot from the bench he is a classless as*hole. I think the bulls will take the series and advance
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4-29-2009 @ 10:24AM
rjw6683 said...
The Celtics have no depth. Big baby is doing better then I thought in Garnetts absence, but he can't do half the things Kevin does on defense. They really needed to work a trade to add another big man with skills instead of bringing the cancer into there clubhouse with Marbury. My hat is off to Doc though...he's done a good job with the players that he has to work with. No matter what happens in this series, unless Garnett returns the Celts are done. Big baby is in no shape to run up and down the court all game, and you can see Perkins wearing down at the end of games.
4-29-2009 @ 11:22AM
Glenn20 said...
Rondo wanted to stop the layup but he didn't mean to hit Miller in the face. On the other hand, Miller DID intend to land a forearm into Davis after the whistle (in the previous game). It doesn't matter if Davis flopped, it was still an intentional retaliatory forearm blow by Miller that connected. The refs didn't call a flagrant on either one -- so at least they were consistent.
After 5 games, Chicago has 113 fouls and Boston has 113 fouls. You can't get more even than that. There are bad calls every game, but it's funny how everything seems to even out. It's not a conspiracy. After the Game 4 loss you had Celtic fans blaming the refs and now after the Game 5 loss you have Bulls fans blaming the refs.
It all evens out, and whoever wins, it will be because they beat the other team.
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4-29-2009 @ 12:24PM
lopjackie21 said...
BIG DEAL...so the sorry ass celtics beat the
Bulls...by a basket...and in O/T no less....LOL!
Rondo is a CHUMP...a dirty rotten PUNK...!
Gee...I wonder where he learned that from???
GO LAKERRRRRRRRRS!
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4-29-2009 @ 12:25PM
lopjackie21 said...
Hi Laker fans.....! :)
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4-29-2009 @ 1:20PM
Michael gifford said...
while pierce did make some clutch shots it was Rondo's cheap shot in Miller's face that saved that game...if the refs actually reviewed that one, they'd see his hand was going NOWHERE NEAR THE BALL. and the layup was a pretty sure thing...no guarantee but the probability was high. I don't like Miller in the first place because of all his dirty play as a Sac Queen but even he didn't deserve that bit of dirty Karma...
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4-29-2009 @ 1:37PM
adam510 said...
more like the refs took control??
no flagarent foul??? why??
did rondo think he was wolverine or something
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4-29-2009 @ 3:39PM
Derrick Wright said...
Flagrant foul or not Brad Miller still had to make the free throws. GO Celtics!!!! What really happened was that Rondo's hand and Brad Miller's face/head ran into each other at full speed. What about those cheap fouls that cause caused Ray Allen to get fouled out? Therefore the Bulls should of regrained that big lead with Ray Allen out of the game but they couldn't do it.
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4-29-2009 @ 5:46PM
rjw6683 said...
Actually no. If the foul had been correctly called a flagrant miller would have got his 2 free throws and the bulls would have kept the ball. That changes the end of the game drastically. The whole face and hand thing is weak too. Rondo had zero chance of getting within a foot of the ball. Just take your charity from the refs and be happy, but don't try and justify what was clearly a horrible job by the officials.
4-29-2009 @ 4:07PM
Glenn20 said...
If you guys want to blame the refs, let's not forget that the Miller play wouldn't have even happened if the refs had called Gorden out of bounds instead of giving him three free throws. His entire heel was over the line. And let's not forget the two cheap fouls that were called on Ray Allen -- forcing the Celtics to play the last 11 minutes without him.
In other words, bad calls (on both teams) happen throughout every game. You can't focus on one play and be blind to everything else.
Also, you're assuming that the Bulls would have won the game if a flagrant foul were called. However, Miller still would have had to hit both free throws (which he didn't) and even if he hit them both it would have only tied the game the Bulls would still need to score again.
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4-29-2009 @ 11:51PM
Derrick Wright said...
That's how I feel this wouldn't be an issue if the refs would've called the correct call when Ben Gordon stepped on the line. Because they reviewed it but still missed that call.