Gordon, Bulls beat Celtics 121-118 in 2 OT

By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer Apr 26, 6:45 pm EDT

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CHICAGO (AP)—Another playoff thriller between Chicago and Boston, and this one went to the Bulls.

If the Celtics want to advance, they’re going to have to earn it.

Ben Gordon scored 22 points, hitting the tying 3-pointer in the first overtime, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 121-118 in double overtime Sunday to tie their first-round series at two games apiece.

The teams split two tight games in Boston, before the Celtics blew out the Bulls in Game 3. This time, they stretched the drama into a second overtime.

“Everybody I’m talking to is saying this is the most exciting series that they’re watching right now,” Gordon said.

It’s tough to argue.

Derrick Rose added 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. John Salmons scored 20 points after a slow start, hitting four free throws in the final 26 seconds of the game and blocking Paul Pierce’s tying 3-pointer.

Boston’s Ray Allen buried a 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 96 before Rose missed a potential winning fadeaway in the closing seconds. Gordon came through with 4.5 seconds left in the first overtime, hitting a 3-pointer over Pierce to tie it at 110, and the Bulls never trailed in the second OT.

Salmons hit two free throws with 26 seconds left and, after a 3-pointer by Pierce, he hit two more at the line. After a timeout, Pierce got the ball on the left side but couldn’t shake Salmons, who deflected his 3-pointer.

It was a dramatic end to another dramatic game. The series goes back to Boston, where the Bulls took Game 1 in overtime and the Celtics won Game 2 by three, on Tuesday.

“It’s 2-2 and we’re in a fight,” Boston’s Rajon Rondo said. “Give them a lot of credit. They stuck with it. They fought back. They executed down the stretch very well and we didn’t.”

Pierce led Boston with 29 points, although he was just 9-for-24. Allen added 28, and Rajon Rondo again hounded the Bulls, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists—his second triple-double of the series.

“We’ve been here before,” Allen said. “That’s (what) bothered me so much about this one, because we had opportunities.”

Rose, who was outplayed by Rondo in the previous two games, again had trouble hanging onto the ball. He committed seven turnovers for the second straight time, but made up for it with 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Gordon also came through late even though he strained his left hamstring in the second quarter and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

Kirk Hinrich added 18 points while containing Pierce. Tyrus Thomas had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Joakim Noah scored 12 while grabbing 10 boards. The Bulls prevailed despite missing some key free throws down the stretch and were 26 of 35 overall.

“We’ve got a lot of fight in us, and I’m really happy for the young guys,” Gordon said.

The Celtics led by five in the first OT and were still up 110-107 after Allen hit two free throws with 9 seconds left. They were then supposed to foul, but instead, Gordon buried another dramatic 3.

He got the ball near the top of the key and dribbled to his right, hitting the tying shot over Pierce. Rondo then missed a jumper, sending it into a second OT.

“We always foul, but even when you screw it up, they’ve still got to hit the shot and Ben Gordon made a hell of a shot,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

In the second OT, Noah dunked over Glen Davis to make it a four-point game with 1:26 left. Pierce missed a 3-pointer, and with the crowd chanting his name, Noah sank a free throw to make it 117-112 with 35 seconds remaining.

Pierce converted a three-point play to pull Boston within two, but Salmons came up big at the line before making the big block to preserve the win.

“This team has a lot of heart, has a lot of character,” Salmons said.

Notes

Chicago’s Brad Miller was nearly ejected after a skirmish with Davis early in the fourth quarter. He grazed Davis with a forearm to the head after taking a hard foul and was initially assessed a flagrant foul 2, but the officials reduced it to a technical. … Rondo, averaging a playoff-leading 4.0 steals entering the game, had two.

Updated Apr 26, 6:45 pm EDT
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131 Comments

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  1. Haterkiller
    131. Posted by Haterkiller Thu Apr 30 3:08pm EDT

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    Gillman310.

    What the@#$%k did you just say??????????????????

    Dude either learn how to spell/type or use spell check before you hit send.

    IF you wouldn't mind, can you retype what you wrote in normal @#$%king english please
  2. <i>gilman310</i>
    130. Posted by gilman310 Wed Apr 29 3:36pm EDT

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    Bulls 999% alway Baby my number 1 team come back again pary to god most of the play get the vires come in from country . Itr bad news make news now.
  3. Haterkiller
    129. Posted by Haterkiller Tue Apr 28 2:20pm EDT

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    OK, here it is.

    This is one of the better finals(all the games not just this series) I have seen in a while.

    In the end it will be the Lakers and Cavs, Lakers will win, it will go 7 games and it will be GREAT Lebron will get the League MVP, and Kobe will get the finals MVP.
  4. red dog
    128. Posted by red dog Tue Apr 28 2:36am EDT

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    hey alex from your comments your the cry baby
  5. red dog
    127. Posted by red dog Mon Apr 27 8:53pm EDT

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    im a celtic fan but its the CAVS year
  6. Bergie
    126. Posted by Bergie Mon Apr 27 4:15pm EDT

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    What a great game -- a true playoff game filled with anything.


    And unless I'm mistaken, Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon must be the best duo to ever wear the jersey of the Chicago Bulls. I don't think any of us can think of better playoff performances by two Chicago Bulls. ;) :)




    Before you go ripping in to me, OF COURSE I'm sarcastically joking.
  7. Owen
    125. Posted by Owen Mon Apr 27 2:49pm EDT

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    Cedric isnt right. The last game of the championship last year, the celts beat the lakers 131-92. Lebron is just get selfish and not pass the ball like he always does in the playoffs. Lets hope we get KG back before we go into next round, if we do
  8. <i>brianallen1971</i>
    124. Posted by brianallen1971 Mon Apr 27 2:41pm EDT

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    Hey Cedric... I have no intention of getting into an e-debate about it. In fact, it cracks me in when one person types "milk" and the next one types "SPILL!" It's all pointless. The Cavs are my team, but that doesn't mean that I can't be a fan of the game...the entire game...past and present. Back in the day, I respected "Show Time", "Larry Legend" and Dr. J (I could go on). MJ did damage to the Cavs for years...still had to love his game. The point is, I didn't have to like them...I just respected them. My previous comments were directed toward thegreat2432. Even as a Lakers fan, you have to admit that his posts kill brain cells. Now about your "cold hard facts"...they're not cold hard facts just yet. The Lakers are great and Kobe is lethal, but nothing is predetermined. That's why they play the game. If the Lakers and Cavs meet (and I hope they do), may the best team win. If the Lakers win, I'll sleep fine. We could debate match-ups for days and probably both have valid arguments, but who really cares? In the end, I hope we end up with a hungry and healthy Lakers team facing a hungry and healthy Cavs team and we all get to watch them battle it out. Again, all of the stats and history stuff was just for that other cat who seems to show up in every thread claiming Lakers' superiority since the beginning of time. Good luck to every remaining team...but more importantly...GO CAVS!
  9. <i>jefflubey</i>
    123. Posted by jefflubey Mon Apr 27 2:35pm EDT

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    why was Ben Gordon playing with himself after making that clutch shot, the NBA needs to get a grip on that stuff, no pun intenedem, like the NFL for excessive celebration, that stuff has no place in the game.
  10. Evan R
    122. Posted by Evan R Mon Apr 27 1:51pm EDT

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    To Celt's fans complaining about officiating:
    There have been many calls that were questionable for both teams, so don't use that as an excuse. Rose gets "rookie treatment" when driving the lane... This is one part of the NBA that upsets me most.. I feel that taking experience into consideration on fall calls is absolutely ridiculous. Pierce gets a lot of love when driving the lane...any contact at all and its an immediate whistle. Whereas with Rose, he has to get hammered to get a call.
  11. ricky m
    121. Posted by ricky m Mon Apr 27 12:42pm EDT

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    Lebron this lebron that, THE CHICAGO BULLS are once again showing the NBA where its at !!!!!!!!!.All you heard in the Finals last year was Paul Peirce was the 32nd coming of the MAN himself, and we all know who im gonna type, MICHAEL JORDAN..................., 2 3PEATS, 6 MVP AWARDS, NO ONE will ever do what MICHAEL JORDAN did not even LEBRON, let ALONE PAUL.............................IT IS SO HARD TO DO WHAT MICHAEL DID, NIGHT IN NIGHT, thats why he will always be the KING OF THE NBA, AND WE HAD HIM CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, NOT BOSTON, NOT THE MISTAKE BY THE LAKE...........LOL!!
  12. Cedric
    120. Posted by Cedric Mon Apr 27 12:12pm EDT

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    MR. BRIAN ALLEN this is for you.. You wanna talk basketball, so lets talk basketball.. The Celtics nor the Cavaliers have a chance against the Lakers this year.. Sorry, but thats just the cold hard fact.. The LAKERS RICH HISTORY is in the past right? So why does it matter who has the better winning percentage in the finals?? Honestly, i dnt think it has anything to do with this years' Lakers team.. But like it or not, the Lakers are the present or may i say future and will be for a while to come.. You say you are a Cavs fan but it seems like to me, you dnt know who your real team is.. But like i was saying, you can throw all them statistics and stuff out the window.. if your team-cavs or celtics-make it to the finals, i guarantee you that neither one of them will have a chance.. when it is all said and done, the lakers just have to much talent and will come out on top.. need i mention, that they are playing with a chip on their shoulder and they have to best player in the world.. lebron is a beast, and is next in line for the crown but until he develops a SHOT and learns how to close out games with the ball in his hand, kobe will always be better.. Mr. Brian quit fooling urself into thinking the lakers will choke just bc of their HISTORY.. We, the Lakers, are just better and we will prove it.. i guarantee you that
  13. Haterkiller
    119. Posted by Haterkiller Mon Apr 27 12:09pm EDT

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    WHAT?????? NO Paul Pierce BULLSH!T fake @#$%king wheel chair show!!!!!!! C'mon that would have been perfect, may have got them into 3rd OT. OH wait he only uses that in the finals, but then again they are not going to make it that far this year so he better pull all his tricks out now.

    Let see....... KG on board, Champions. No KG, no champions. HMMMM, I wonder who is the real deal on the team, KG the heart of a team, or BS Paul Pierce, loud mouth cry baby, wannabe.

    DONE!

    Now I know some idiot c#ck sucker is going to come on here and say some sh!t to me, guess what? I don't care, go @#$%k yourself.
  14. <i>xiahuaqiang</i>
    118. Posted by xiahuaqiang Mon Apr 27 11:16am EDT

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    no doubt,C's will win series finally,remember it's only 2-2,not 3-0 or 4-0.
  15. Joe L
    117. Posted by Joe L Mon Apr 27 10:58am EDT

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    Big Bulls fan here,I'm loving this series no doubt,I'm with garyW,we are champions among champions and to say the least we should be up 3-1 our guys are young and will keep truckin,just like micheal jordon and those guys did when they finally have a nucleaus to go on.Weather the celticsdid or not buy a championship really does not matter they WON. They have 17 of them,do we have to and say well they're not champions because they did not win back to back,from 1959-66 they won 8 in a row 68-69 they won back to back.The lakers have 11 championships. We have 6 but the way we got them was amasing,If only MJwould of stuck around for 18 months we would of had 8 in a row.GO BULLS!!
  16. Kyle Anderson
    116. Posted by Kyle Anderson Mon Apr 27 10:47am EDT

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    If I remember correctly the celtics went to game seven last year against the hawks, a far worse team and they still ended up winning the title. People who say the celtics are overrated are idiots. There second team is as good as half the first teams in the nba.
  17. <i>brianallen1971</i>
    115. Posted by brianallen1971 Mon Apr 27 10:44am EDT

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    Bah! In my previous post, the "greater than" symbol was left out. It should have read The Celtics' RICH history "is greater than" the Lakers' RICH history. Oh well, anyone who knows the history of the game knows that anyway. As you were...
  18. <i>brianallen1971</i>
    114. Posted by brianallen1971 Mon Apr 27 10:40am EDT

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    Hey greatlyconfused2432... I can't believe I left out the best one. You were aware that the Celtics won 8 consecutive titles, right? I mean, since we're talking history here and since back to backs are all that matters in your mind. To me, a champion is a champion. Too much hard work goes into getting to that level for you, me or anyone else to trivialize it. Oh...and go Cavs!
  19. Demetrious R
    113. Posted by Demetrious R Mon Apr 27 10:37am EDT

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    I agree boston is a one hit wonder over rated.. last year the lakers lost bynum for the season. they still made it to the finals without him. celtics have no kg but the have paul pierce who thinks he is better than kobe and lebron. they have ray allen who is mostly a non factor in playoff series his disappears for the most part. celtics fans stop your whining and take your ass kicking like a man from a .500 bulls team. if the celtics lose to the bulls the celtic team will be broken up and start from scratch.. lakers 2009 nba champions
  20. <i>brianallen1971</i>
    112. Posted by brianallen1971 Mon Apr 27 10:35am EDT

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    Poor greatlyconfused2432...please, please, please...for the love of all things good and holy, learn something about the game before posting comments. First, I'm a Cavs fan, so feel free to have some fun with that (while you still can).

    But let me drop a little knowledge on ya...
    The Celtics' RICH history the Lakers' RICH history.
    True, the Lakers have been to the finals 29 times, but have only won 14 of them. That's 48%.
    The Celtics have been there 20 times and won 17 of them. That's 85% (85% is better than 48%...just helpin' you out there).

    Now, while you're working on some funny comment about how the Cavs were swept during their one and only trip to the finals and how that makes them "losers", let me help you out with some more knowledge about your Lakers' RICH history. Did you know that the Lakers have been swept out of the finals more times than half the teams in the NBA have even made the finals?

    Your welcome.
  21. <i>thegreat2432</i>
    111. Posted by thegreat2432 Mon Apr 27 9:58am EDT

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    without a doubt, celtics are one hit wonders!! hey boston, ur not REAL champions if u dont win it back to back, look at the lakers, a lot of back to backs in our RICH history! without a back to back, ur nothing!!! last years championship dont mean a thing!! look at Miami, their FAKE 2006 chip was proven by their FIRST ROUND SWEEP exit the next year! lol! absolute patheticness!!!ur nothing boston, bunch of overrated losers!!!
  22. Rafael G
    110. Posted by Rafael G Mon Apr 27 9:29am EDT

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    nah!
  23. Hristo K
    109. Posted by Hristo K Mon Apr 27 9:16am EDT

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    Bought a championship, is this baseball malaka? The Celts gave up first rounders, Al Jefferson and a cast of players for KG, Ray and the rights to Glen Davis. Bought a championship, thats junk. Doc Rivers has the crew playing as a real team, these guys are hard working teammates that have gone in undergunned and lost there sixth man to top it off. Credit the Bulls yes, there playing there as&es off, but if you think the Celts are laying down and losing this series your sadly mistaken. KG will be back in these playoffs and this squad will be ready for whoever comes.
  24. John G
    108. Posted by John G Mon Apr 27 9:15am EDT

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    @ jewbacca...

    Boston is still trucking? I wouldn't call going (probably) 7 games with a .500 team trucking. Sorry. At least then actually won a road playoff game this year.
  25. red dog
    107. Posted by red dog Mon Apr 27 9:02am EDT

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    hey jewbacca if you knew how dumb your comments sound people get sick of hearing how teams buy championships if you can explain i would like to hear the explanation you dumbass
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Top Performers

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 Boston
R. Rondo Rajon Rondo
9-18,  25 Pts
11 Rebs, 11 Assists
 Chicago
D. Rose Derrick Rose
10-17,  23 Pts
11 Rebs, 9 Assists

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