Bulls and D-Rose links

Sleepers -

Chicago Bulls
How much should we read into Chicago's classic seven-game series against Boston? Was the Bulls' gutsy performance a harbinger of things to come, or was it lightning in a bottle? Did they graduate into a team that knows how to scramble defenses with a legitimate pick-and-roll game, or were they just lucky to encounter a crippled Celtics' team ill-suited to deal with their quickness and athleticism?

Those aren't the only imperative questions for Chicago. Even if we conclude that they came of age in April, is it fair to expect them to continue their progress without their top scorer, Ben Gordon, whom they lost to Detroit?

Short answer: Yes.

NBA's 10 fastest players -

1
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

There is plenty of room for disagreement here — like we said, no one's timing every NBA player with a stopwatch — but Rose tops this list because of his speed in every situation. From end to end, the 2009 Rookie of the Year can cover the 94 feet as fast as anybody. In close quarters, his burst is unbelievable. He can run the fast break or penetrate through halfcourt defenses with equal velocity. And at 6-3 and 190, he has a strong frame and excellent body control, making him arguably the best athlete of all the league's point guards. Considering he won't be old enough to drink a beer till October, the 20-year-old Rose is on the fast track to NBA stardom.

Magic better than Michael? -

If Magic Didn't Retire Early, Would MJ Still Be The Best?

Earvin Magic Johnson just celebrated his 50th birthday and is widely regarded historically as one of the NBA's best ever. But what if he didn't retire when he did?

When Magic announced his first retirement in November of 1991, the Chicago Bulls were about to begin the defense of their first of six titles with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson.

The Bulls won their first, in Jordan's 7th NBA season, a few months earlier beating Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

And then, right before the 1991-92 season was set to begin, Magic made his famous announcement that he was forced to retire because he'd contracted the HIV virus.

Top 10 NBA storylines -

9.Sophomore class rising



The top players from this draft class is Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo. Both of them will elevate their statuses even higher this season. Rose went nuts in the playoffs and will carry his momentum into this season. With the loss of Ben Gordon, he will also be relied on more to score.

Mayo will become a scoring machine while working on other aspects of his game such as defense. He will establish himself as the face of the Grizzlies franchise. The two surprises of this class are Brook Lopez and Anthony Randolph.

Lopez will be the second option on the team without Vince Carter. Randolph will emerge as a star himself and as the third best player from this class, ahead of Lopez and Michael Beasley.

NBA's all-time best duos -

1. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

You all knew it was coming.

The greatest player to ever grace the game and a bona fide all-star—who on any other team is a go-to guy—brought six titles and immortality to the Windy City.

Throw the ever-elusive Dennis Rodman into the mix, and two three-peats are a standard.

Jordan was graced with fantastic teammates and a legendary coach, but none more powerful than Pippen.

That's why these guys are the greatest duo in NBA history.

And some links I pulled from twitter (follow BBS here!) ...


From SlamOnline -

Downloads: Views: 7082

JoaNoah enjoying the off-season.

D-Rose on the cover of Kicks Magazine.

Bull Bear Sock gets a facelift... along with the UC

So, I've been reading a lot on how to run the world's most successful blog. Since we already have 3 of the best copy and pasters err writers on the planet, I figured there had to be other ways to improve the board beyond it's writing.

One suggestion in the article I read was ease of use. This seemed like a good place to start since I'm sure most of our 'readers' have attempted to leave a comment and had the comment glitch delete it, only to give up and not bother re-typing their thoughts. Well Bull Bear Sock readers, we've fixed it! please continue to copy your entry before submitting so that you can paste it two or three times before your thoughts finally post and are with the board!

Another suggestion was to add to the blog's aesthetics. Since I didn't know what that meant, I just made a super sweet banner with photoshop microsoft paint.

All in all... it's a whole new blog... make sure to keep reading so when we blow up, you can say you've been with us since the beginning (and if you're into skinny jeans, neon sunglasses, and vintage military hats you can stop reading and complain to everyone about how our blog used to be good until we sold out)


And in much more real news, the United Center is also getting a makeover!


The Return of the Madhouse on Madison

The United Center announced today the re-creation of its 300 Level into the newest destination for fans to experience Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks games - The Madhouse on Madison.

New for the 2009-10 season, the United Center's 300 Level will feature a renovated concourse with 144 flat screen televisions powered by LG, new food and beverage stations above select seating sections and two new bars that open up to panoramic views of the arena.

With construction slated to be completed by September, The Madhouse on Madison will include:

Exciting graphics and signs highlighting "The Madhouse on Madison"
A variety of new menu items provided by the United Center's new food and beverage provider, Levy Restaurants

A new concession stand and seating area located in Section 326 called "Backstage." This area will replicate the atmosphere of being backstage at a United Center concert and will include photos of music acts that played at the United Center along with a specialized menu from Levy Restaurants.

New concession stands and bars located at the top of the 300 Level on the north side of the arena to provide fans sitting in that area with easy access to food and beverage service.

Two new novelty areas carrying merchandise unique to The Madhouse on Madison
New concourse food stations with increased seating.

New video systems featuring photography, video and animation on the concourse walls which will create images and specialized programming for each individual event.

"The Madhouse on Madison, a throwback to the old Chicago Stadium nickname, is another example of the innovative concepts we're creating at the United Center in an effort to continually enhance and upgrade our fans game experience," said Terry Savarise, Senior Vice President of Operations at the United Center. "The new renovations will allow fans the convenience of watching a game with modernized amenities no matter where you are in the 300 Level."

I'm pretty sure none of the members of BBS will ever be sitting in the 300 level ever again, since this blog is going places now... but assuming we do... we'll let you know if these new renovations mean anything.

More links and D-Rose scandal?!

But first, a mini-rant ...

Reggie Miller is by far the worst NBA announcer on the planet. I hate when he is assigned to playoff games (I realize he was a sub for Doug Collins last night, but they could find someone else). Reggie is terrible, even worse than the woman who did the back-end of some double-headers on ESPN during the regular season.

He offers no analysis or insight. Yesterday he said: Mo Williams is the first Cav other than LeBron to score 20 points this series, and that's the first time Mo has reached 20 points this series. Really Reggie?! Idiot. Did Reggie also start asking himself simple questions and answering them? Yes.

I could watch Marv Albert announce chess and it would be exciting, but Reggie ruins Marv's excellence and makes me want to mute the games.

I hate Reggie Miller (almost) as much as I ... HATE. THE. CELTICS.




And another mini-rant ...

I know it's been said/written before, but the plays teams run at the end of quarters are absolutely stupid. Those are generally big plays because they can get a home crowd fired up for the second unit at the start of the 2nd and 4th quarters (or take a crowd out of it if the road team scores) ...

And teams continuously do the stupid "player X dribbles the clock down then takes a long step-back jumper" play. It's boring, and it's obviously not the best offensive play the team has - otherwise they would do it all game right?

Some teams are excluded from this criticism (Suns and Magic run a pick-and-roll, but the Magic usually end up with a Hedo step-back J anyway). But think about most teams: Cavs with LeBron, Lakers with Kobe, Bulls with BG ... it's always the same. Couldn't they run that player off some screens and get him the ball in the post, or run the normal offense and make sure it ends up in that players hands?!







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Now some links ...

Why look at another PG? -

Jonny Flynn and his agent, Leon Rose, mapped out a predraft workout schedule for the potential lottery pick based on teams that need a point guard.

Then the Bulls called.

"I couldn't understand why they would bring me in either," Flynn said at the NBA predraft camp at Attack Athletics, confirming the Tribune's report of his Sunday workout. "But they said there are times they wish to move Derrick [Rose] off the ball. When they said that to me, it fell into place."

Whether Flynn is on the board when the Bulls use the first of their two first-round picks in the June 25 NBA draft is impossible to predict. At No. 16 and No. 26, the Bulls have numerous options.

Rose had a grade changed at Simeon -

A year ago, Derrick Rose became the No.1 overall pick in the NBA draft, selected by his hometown Bulls and eventually dazzling enough onlookers to be rated the top rookie in his class.

His ability and promise remain an immutable truth for the present and future. It's Rose's past, though, that is becoming a bit more clouded.

First came news Wednesday out of Memphis that the NCAA is investigating an allegedly fraudulent SAT score of a Memphis basketball player from the 2007-08 Final Four team, reportedly Rose.

Then a Chicago Public Schools source said Thursday that a grade on Rose's high school transcript was changed from a D to a C by someone at Simeon Career Academy in the final semester of his senior year.

Issue with Rose's SAT score also -

A Chicago Public Schools source said Thursday that a grade on Rose's high school transcript was changed from a D to a C by someone at Simeon Career Academy in the final semester of his senior year.

On Wednesday reports surfaced in Memphis that the NCAA is investigating an allegedly fraudulent SAT score of a Memphis basketball player from the 2007-08 Final Four team, reportedly Rose.


"Mr. Rose is aware of the allegations reported in the press," Daniel E. Reidy, Rose's attorney, said in a statement. "Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the University of Memphis' athletic and legal departments' investigation of this issue when he was a student, and that investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on his part.

"At this time, Mr. Rose sees no reason to engage in further discussion regarding this matter and will instead focus on his career as a professional basketball player."

Ripple effect of the allegations -

Let's say you're of the cynical, entertain-me-now school of fandom.

You don't care a wit that young Bulls star Derrick Rose has been implicated as the beneficiary of some serious academic cheating at both his alma maters -- Simeon High School and the University of Memphis.

According to NCAA allegations first reported by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal and Chicago high school sources informing the Sun-Times, some person other than Rose allegedly took his college-entrance SAT, and someone with access to Rose's Simeon transcripts changed one of his grades from a D to a C just as Rose was applying to colleges.

So what, you say. He's a pro now. He was always gonna be a baller. Go, Bulls!

That's fine.

Live in your world of beer-can-on-the-belly sports relativism.

But just ponder the ripple effect and the hypocrisy revealed by the academic fraud before you lumber to the fridge for another cold one.

***** UPDATE *****

Memphis denies allegations -

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said the Tigers have no reason to believe a former player -- identified by sources as Derrick Rose -- took a fraudulent standardized test prior to enrolling at the university.

"If we thought that we wouldn't have played him," Johnson told ESPN.com Thursday.

Johnson wouldn't confirm that Chicago Bulls rookie Rose is at the center of the investigation. But he denied any knowledge of someone else taking a standardized test for a Memphis player.

Forde: Kentucky sees, hears no evil

There are still plenty of questions to be answered, but don't tell that to Kentucky or its fans. The NCAA allegations at Memphis? No need to dig up the past -- that doesn't involve next year's dream season. Forde

In a letter to the school the NCAA says an unknown person took the SAT for a player, with his knowledge, and then the player used that test to get into Memphis. The NCAA said the athlete in question played for the Tigers in the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA tournament. The only person who played just that season was Rose.

Big move for the Sox?!

Today was off to a great start when I woke up to a text message that the White Sox were trying to trade for Peavy. Now it seems that he is vetoing the trade because he prefers the NL -

The agent for San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy expressed doubt Thursday that his client is ready to sign off on a proposed trade to the Chicago White Sox.

Agent Barry Axelrod told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Peavy has a "strong preference" to stay in the National League. That preference, along with Peavy's fondness for his new home in Southern California, could impede a proposed deal that would send the pitcher to Chicago.

And the Sox got crushed today -

Joe Mauer hit a grand slam, two doubles and drove in six runs as the Minnesota Twins routed the White Sox 20-1 Thursday, matching Chicago's most-lopsided loss in team history.

Another reason today sucks ... my favorite Chicago Bear Rex Grossman is trying out for the UFL -

According to UFLAccess.com, which is a site for fans, former Bears quarterback Rex Grossman will participate in drills in front of UFL head coaches.

The Web site quotes a Las Vegas television station, saying that another player, Graham Harrell, will also participate in the drills in a "pro day" in Las Vegas.

A representative from the UFL would not confirm any players who will be in attendance at the workout.

Cutler honeymoon -

For those compelled by precision, for those looking for the exact moment when the Jay Cutler hype machine clicked into overdrive in Chicago, I propose May 17, 2009, at 1:40 p.m.

At that exact moment this past Sunday, Chicago Bears play-by-play man Jeff Joniak grabbed a microphone at the team's annual fan convention and formally introduced the new quarterback to a fan base long in search of its savior.

Some clapped; others yelled. Some pulled out their cell phones; others pulled out their digital cameras. Young and old, male and female, it didn't matter. From grandmas to baby girls, from frat boys to business execs, everyone wanted to see the hero, everyone wanted to hear him speak. With each passing second, more and more fans squeezed closer and closer to the stage. It was as if Cutler were John, Paul, George and Ringo all rolled into one.

And in a way, he is. That's what happens when a franchise that hasn't had a franchise quarterback in half a century mortgages its entire future on the right arm of a 26-year-old Pro Bowl answer.

After Paxson made arguably his best move (acquiring Salmons and Miller), he has promoted and will no longer be Bulls GM -

Gar Forman has been promoted to general manager of the Chicago Bulls, replacing John Paxson, who will remain with the team as executive vice president of basketball operations.

The Bulls announced the move Wednesday in a release promoting a Thursday news conference.

Forman has been director of player personnel the past five years. He joined the organization as a scout in 1998 and became the team's director of player personnel in January 2004.

Paxson is expected to retain a major say in personnel moves, but was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. He had been GM since April 2003, when he was officially hired as executive vice president of basketball operations.

The new titles reflect a shift that had already taken place over the past year, with Forman assuming more day-to-day responsibilities. That included the lead role in contract negotiations with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon and input in the coaching search last summer.

Besides helping Paxson evaluate potential trades, free agents and coaches, Forman coordinated Chicago's amateur and pro scouting as director of player personnel.

*********************


NO BIG MOVE FOR THE BULLS!! At least not involving TT -

No Moving Tyrus: This time of year speculation runs rampant for a lot of players because trades are a big part of the NBA Draft and because teams want to start as early as possible planning out their roster for the next season. Players' names are bandied about like people are trading basketball cards and rumors can be sparked at the drop of a hat. The latest victim of such speculation seems to be forward Tyrus Thomas of the Chicago Bulls.

Thomas has had his ups and downs in his three seasons in the NBA. Some say he is a tweener forward; not really a small forward and not really a power forward. Still, he played more consistently the second half of this season when the Chicago Bulls made their postseason run, and he was solid during their seven-game first-round series with the Boston Celtics.

The Bulls have stated they would really like to keep as much of this year's team together as possible, adding in forward Luol Deng and his return from injury. Unrestricted free agent guard Ben Gordon is an obvious question, but Thomas is not.

While many have already traded Thomas in whatever deal strikes their fancy – to Phoenix in a package for Amar'e Stoudemire is a popular one – the Bulls are committed to Thomas being part of their future. The word on the street is the Bulls will open contract extension talks with Thomas' agent this summer – he is eligible for an extension that would kick in for the 2010-11 season this summer – to keep him in Chicago. That's where Thomas wants to be and that's where the Bulls want him to be.

Yes, anything could happen, but it would seem that moving Thomas is not in Chicago's plans at all. Quite the opposite.

JoaNoah's off-season "workouts"

Finals are finally finishing, so I'll be back to blogging more. Hopefully I'll get into the swing of baseball season and get more White Sox posts going. Anyone have any Blackhawks links they'd like me to share?! The NHL playoffs started or something?!


*** UPDATE ***

A few extra links ...


D-Rose got a new whip.


And you could meet D-Rose this Saturday ...

OK, here’s the skinny. Derrick Rose, he of Rookie of the Year/Lord and Savior of Chicago Basketball fame, will be at the adidas Sport Performance Store at 845 N. Michigan Avenue (Water Tower Place - Fourth Floor) this Saturday from 2pm - 4:30pm.

Rose will be signing autographs, there will be limited edition Rookie of the Year apparel, discounts on merchandise and a framed Derrick Rose jersey giveaway.

... anyone want to go with me?!




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Well if you didn't love JoaNoah after this ...

Downloads: 0 Views: 11109

You certainly have to respect him after this (WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!) [As a heads up, the link below the pic labeled NSFW has more (read: better) pics!] Also note, the link came in as a reader submission - Thanks duckfart!



Mark Cuban's blog is worth reading everyday, and now he's posting some "classic" posts that are his favorites ...

Success and Motivation

I did it too. I drove by big houses and would wonder who lived there. What did they do for a living? How did they make their money? Someday, I would tell myself, I would live in a house like that. Every weekend I would do it.

I read books about successful people. In fact, I read every book or magazine I could get my hands on. I would tell myself 1 good idea would pay for the book and could make the difference between me making it or not.

I worked jobs I didn’t like. I worked jobs I loved, but had no chance of being a career. I worked jobs that barely paid the rent. I had so many jobs my parents wondered if I would be stable. Most of them aren’t on my resume anymore because I was there so short a time or they were so stupid I was embarrassed. You don’t want to write about selling powdered milk or selling franchises for TV repair shops. In every job, I would justify it in my mind whether I loved it or hated it that I was getting paid to learn and every experience would be of value when I figured out what I wanted to do when I grew up.

If I ever grew up, I hoped to run my own business some day. It’s exactly what I told myself every day. In reality, I had as much doubt as confidence. I was just hoping the confidence would win over the doubt and it would all work out for the best.

Success and Motivation, Part 2

So my career in Dallas begins. I’m a software salesperson with Your Business Software in Dallas. $18k per year. The first retail software store in Dallas.

I have to sweep the floor and be there to open the store, but that’s not a bad thing. When I tell my future ex-girlfriends that I sell software and am in the computer biz, I’m not going to mention the sweeping the floor part. Plus, I had to wear a suit to work, and the 2-fer madness specials looked good at happy hour after work. Better yet, the store didn’t open till 9:30am, which meant if I had a fun night, I had at least a little time to sleep.

I bet right about now you are questioning where my focus was? Where was my commitment to being the future owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Please. I was stoked I had a good job. I was stoked it was in an industry that could turn into a career. At 24, I was just as stoked that the office was close to where the best happy hours were and that I might finally have more than 20 bucks to spend for a night on the town.

Since I’m talking about partying, I do have to say that my friends and I were very efficient in that area. Beyond living off bar food and happy hours, we literally would agree that none of us would bring more than 20 bucks for a weekend night out. This way we all could pace each other. At least that was the way it was supposed to work, and it did until we figured out the key to having a great night out on the cheap. They key was buying a bottle of cheap, cheap champagne. I can’t even spell the name, but it was a full bottle, and it cost 12 bucks. Tear the label off and as far as anyone knew it was Dom. Each of us would grab one, and sip on it all night. It was far cheaper than buying beers or mixed drinks all night, and we never had to buy a drink for a girl, we just gave them some champagne! Of course the next day was hell, but since when was I responsible enough to care about a hangover…

Former Bull Corey Blount -

Although Judge Craig Hedric did not sentence Blount to the maximum 10 years in prison, he rejected Blount's claim that the marijuana was intended for personal use and to share with friends.

"Cheech and Chong would have had a hard time smoking that much," Hedric told Blount.

D-Rose is wonderful -

A few days earlier, I had asked Chicago Tribune Bulls beat reporter K.C. Johnson what it was like to deal with Rose on a daily basis. I knew Rose only from covering him during the University of Memphis' Final Four appearance a season earlier. Back then he was quiet, polite, modest to a fault.

Turns out he was no different as a Bull.

"Too good to be true," said Johnson, a veteran NBA reporter.

So I introduced myself to Rose. He stares you in the eye. He doesn't big-time you. He does his best to answer your questions.

I told him that I thought some of the Celtics didn't want to see him or the Bulls anytime soon. He laughed and said, "I wouldn't say that. They're a good team. Seems like they're willing to face anybody. But we gave them a run."

Buerhle is an all-time White Soc great -

If it seems like you've read all about Buehrle, and that he's been with the team longer than Minnie Minoso, you're not far off. Buehrle joined the Chicago White Sox in 2000, just two years after getting drafted in the 38th round, so if you don't appreciate him by now, you will when he's gone.

Since joining the rotation in 2001, he's been one of the most consistent pitchers of his era and could go down as the best starter in White Sox history -- left-handed, right-handed, whatever.

The left-hander with the homophone for a surname has won 127 games (and counting), thrown a no-hitter, posted a start and a save in consecutive World Series games, logged 200-plus innings a year (his workload over the past eight full seasons is the most in baseball), and earned his teammates' eternal respect by getting them out of the park at a reasonable hour nearly every start.

His personal guarantee, according to one teammate, is he'll either win fast or get his backside kicked fast. There isn't a lot of nuance to Mark Buehrle.

Game 7

Game 7 can be summed up in the words of my mom after opening a Christmas present from my little sister: "That's not the one I wanted!"

It was a rough loss, but I am happy to have not only watched that series, but be emotionally invested in it as a Bulls fan. It was a great joy to watch, and great experience for our young players. (With a real coach, I think we close it out in 5).

My (quick and not very-well-thought-out) takeaways from the series:
- HATE. THE. CELTICS. I don't understand how anyone actually likes that unlikeable, whining, bitching bunch of whiny bitches. I have not disliked a team this much since the late-90s Knicks (Oakley, Starks, Mason, etc.)
- Good riddance BG. I've supported and cheered, but the selfish play is too much. I've had enough, and seen him shoot the Bulls out of too many games. There are scorers that have much less baggage and who are much less streaky (read: John Salmons).
- VdN is a terrible coach, and is stunting the growth of our young players. Every time he does something right (playing Salmons at the 4 to create a mismatch was clever for a minute), he does 10 things wrong (not playing TT in the second half, every inbounds play we ran, every play we ran out of a timeout, etc.) He might be liekable, but he clearly doesn't get the Xs and Os, or the flow of the game (hence no timeout at the end of games). He doesn't coach/teach players, he jsut subs people in and out, that's it.
- LOVE. THE. BULLS. (YOUNG. CORE.) Rose, Salmons, Luol, TT and Noah will be a great team to watch next year and for years to come. TT needs to continue working his J, and look out for that pick-and-roll. Same with Rose, can you imagine if defenders have to step out on both of them?!? Noah will bulk up and maybe get a post move or 2 (read: baby hook ... Get it JoaNoah!) It's going to be fun for a while, and I'm excited with where we are headed!




I start finals tomorrow, so I'm too busy for links. But BlogaBull had a nice summary -

When I made the pact to just forget about the Bulls and enjoy this series, it's not fair to then dump on the same things that made the series exciting in the first place.

Playing 4 guards for most of the second half? Lindsey Hunter over Tyrus Thomas? Thomas getting 17 minutes overall? It's not a shock that the Bulls couldn't defend or get a rebound to get within arm's length of the Celtics all 2nd half. But that sort of play is partly what made this series so fun to watch, I guess.

What was uncharacteristic (except in game 3) was the Bulls 2nd quarter. Just an abysmal performance: 11 points, on 21% shooting and 8 turnovers, taking an early lead on the back of Rose and Gordon to a deficit they never recovered from.

And they couldn't recover because they don't run a real offense, and have a bad defense. Playing 4 guards and Brad Miller helps excacerbate that disadvantage. Sometimes it leads to great individual performances and thrilling comebacks. Other times it'll lead to losses. With no clear talent advantage on either side, the Bulls didn't lose this game due to lack of experience or savvy, but because they're an unpredictable poorly-coached team, and sometimes the usual tricks don't work. Even if it made for a fun couple of weeks.

And it was that. This series deserves a day or so to stand on its own. The Bulls and the Celtics put in a classic, and gave us a ton of memories.

Then this coming week we can move on to the challenge of figuring out and enhancing an entirely mediocre team on the brink of the luxury tax.

Game 7 Preview

Well what can you say about this series?! Should we expect another OT thriller? Why not, right?!

Should we expect repercussions against Rondo for his (a) trip of Kirk in Game 5, (b) punch of Brad Miller in Game 5, (c) throw of Kirk into the scorer's table, (d) throw of an elbow at Kirk?

Answer: (e) None of the above! Congrats Boston fans, you've cheated your way into a Game 7.

Oh, one of your players is hurt?! I hadn't heard about that. Good thing the Bulls are completely healthy instead of missing a starter (Deng), having 2 starters playing hurt (BG and Salmons) and our best 2 bench players dealing with stitches because of your dirty, scumbag little PG.





In actuality, it's tough to complain about this series. It's been an absolute pleasure to watch as a basketball fan, and an epic-thrilling-each-game-could-give-me-9-heart-attacks-roller-coaster-ride to watch as a Bulls fan.

My feelings for tonight's game (expressed by Bill Simmons) -

So yeah, that's why Celtics-Bulls meant something to me -- just like Warriors-Mavs meant something two years ago. My team won the title last year. I'm only one year into a five-year grace period. I thought I was playing with house money. I never imagined a Celtics series in 2009 would matter this much to me. I never imagined being that crestfallen after a Round 1 defeat. When Noah stole the ball from Pierce and dunked on him, I threw a tantrum like a little kid. I screamed out a slew of F-bombs. I ran outside my house and screamed some more. How could the 2008 Finals MVP commit such a dumb foul? He had five! Didn't he know he had five???? And what's worse than a Jo-No celebration at the expense of your own team? I screamed and screamed and screamed. That play ripped my heart out.

At the same time, I'm glad I still care. I'm glad it still matters. I will always appreciate this Bulls team because they did the impossible: They made a fan base that just won a title care even MORE about their own team. Last season barely matters right now. All that matters is winning the most incredible playoff series ever played. I don't even care what happens after Game 7; we can't beat the LeBrons anyway. This is our NBA Finals. Right here. The Celtics fans feel that way, and so do the Bulls fans. I can promise you.

He's right, winning tonight is like winning the NBA title. I know the players ultimate goal is to win the real title, but what happens tonight will determine how we remember the series. And after the joy it's brought me as a fan, I want to remember it as an upset win, against a team that was supposed to beat us, on their home floor, in a crazy thrilling game 7. So obviously, I'm taking Bulls in a thriller 103-101.



What got us to game 7?? Here's a recap:

GAME 1
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GAME 2
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GAME 3
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GAME 4
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GAME 5
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GAME 6
Halftime
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And here's some Game 7 links ...

Setting the stage -

Between the jaw-dropping individual displays, crisp team play and dramatic twists, it's only fitting that the thrilling first-round NBA series between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls comes to a seventh game.

And what a way to get there.

The Bulls prevailed 128-127 in triple overtime on Thursday to tie the series at three games and send it back to Boston for the finale tonight. The winner advances to play Orlando.

Now, the Celtics are trying to avoid elimination after watching an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter disappear and wasting a 51-point effort by Ray Allen that ranks among the greatest postseason displays in the storied franchise's history.

John Salmons scored 35 points and Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose came through with two big plays in the third OT to pace Chicago.

Plenty of drama -

The Chicago Bulls were pretty much like everybody else late Thursday night -- giddy and disbelieving, silly smiles on their faces, trying to make sense of it all.

Great things had occurred, and the demands for explanations and more drama followed -- specifically, how the heck can they defeat the Celtics at Boston in tonight's Game 7?

"I don't know," forward John Salmons said, before taking a long pause. "Get the last shot?"

Too much fun -

Sit down. Take a load off. Then think about this.

John Salmo ns is averaging 45 minutes 6 seconds of playing time through six games. Derrick Rose is at 45 minutes. Ben Gordon, sore hamstring and all, is playing 43:01.

Four Celtics, including Rajon Rondo with a series-high 46:33, are averaging more than 40 minutes per game.

And still, high-quality plays are being made late in marathon games. Think Joakim Noah's steal, near-full-court dribble and dunk while being fouled. Or Ray Allen's late three-pointers. Or Rose's stunning block on Rondo to secure the Bulls' Game 6 victory.

"It's mind-boggling some of the stuff happening out there," Gordon said. "Guys hit amazing shots, and then somebody else comes along and makes an even bigger play. It's almost surreal."

Apparently it's not exhausting, though.

"I'm having too much fun to be tired," Salmons said.

Reality of game 7 -

What if someone had told Muhammad Ali after the Thrilla in Manila that he'd have to go another 15 with Joe Frazier … in two days?

What if someone said to Rafael Nadal after last year's epic Wimbledon final that he and Roger Federer would have to go five more sets … in two days?

What if someone whispered in Kellen Winslow's ear as he was on the verge of heat exhaustion in that 1982 AFC divisional playoff game in Miami that he had to play another 15 minutes of overtime … immediately?

This is where we are. Game 7 in the Bulls-Celtics series will be more like Game 8. With the total time played in the seven overtime periods, they've almost completed an extra game. The six games have featured 106 lead changes. Take out Game 3 and you have five games decided by more than three points. All games decided in the final possession.

And that's more than likely what we'll get in Game 7 on Saturday (7 p.m. CT, ESPN Radio 1000): The team that has the ball last will be the team that advances.

If we were honest with ourselves, we'd say we've seen nothing like this before. We always talk about how great Game 7s are in sports, but there has never been a lead-up to any Game 7 quite like this. And with that said, if you're a Bulls fan, don't be sad if it ends here.

It has to end there for someone.

Where will amazing happen?

Sports Guy is worth reading (even if he is the most homer of all Boston homers) -

At this point, I honestly expected Rufus to say something. Everything was in play, even talking dogs. We are watching a first-round series in which five of the first six games have come down to the final play. Four of those games went into overtime. One went into double OT. One went into triple OT. It's the wildest first-round series ever played. Whatever happens in Game 7, we will remember it as one of the most incredible matchup in NBA playoff history.

Derrick Rose took the superstar training wheels off. Rajon Rondo turned into Isiah Thomas, The Sequel: Just as talented, just as hated, just as nasty. Ben Gordon and Kendrick Perkins turned into Andrew Toney and Robert Parish. The great Ray Allen became a minus-130 favorite in the "Reggie Miller versus Ray Allen" argument and might have to change his name to "The Great Ray Allen." Paul Pierce added to his legacy and sullied it a little at the same time. Brad Miller made the Faces Hall of Fame and the Dorkiest White Guy Celebrations Hall of Fame. John Salmons and Glen Davis put themselves on the map as bona-fide NBA players. Kirk Hinrich redeemed his career. Stephon Marbury destroyed what was left of his career. Doc Rivers and Vinny Del Negro inspired their players and undermined them at the same time.

There were so many great plays and shots and moments that they have all blurred together. I've watched every second of this series and cannot remember how many clutch shots Ray Allen nailed over the past five games. The number might be nine. The number might be 15. The number might be 23. I couldn't tell you. They have all morphed into one super-duper clutch Ray Allen shot: The man flying off a screen, lulling his defender to sleep, then springing for his shot with perfect form. He is the greatest pure shooter I have ever seen. Ever. Not since Bird has anyone given me the feeling, "We might be down three, but we are absolutely tying this game."

I watched every moment of this series and can't remember how many times Derrick Rose wheeled into the lane, spun one way or the other and either scooped in a layup or a floating one-hander. He does it again and again and again. He does it whenever he wants. Thank God, Vinny hasn't noticed. I have never seen a better athlete play point guard. It wasn't that he blocked Rajon Rondo's game-winning shot in Game 6 as much as how beautiful the play itself was: Rose sniffing out the move, mirroring everything Rondo did, then jumping like a frog and swatting the shot as cleanly as you can swat a shot. A perfect basketball play. That's what it was.

There are many great things about sports, but here's one of the best: You never know when two teams will click. I used a boxing analogy in my column after Game 2, and it still stands. Styles make fights and styles make playoff series. Has to be a constant tug between young and old, unstoppable and stoppable, physical and finesse, experience and inexperience, fast and slow, big and small, stupid and smart. You need guys continually rising to the occasion and pushing themselves to a level they didn't know they had. You need two teams (or fighters) hugging each other afterward and thinking to themselves, "Thank you. You brought out the best of me. Thank you."

We love sports for the simple reason that we never know when this will happen. It rarely does. We watch a lot of crummy games. We watch sporting events that had potential to be great and weren't. We watch sporting events that almost made it, but one dumb thing happened to screw it up: A foul at the wrong time, a penalty, a two-base error, whatever. We keep watching. We keep hoping. And when everything clicks, it's blissful. I am hearing from people who haven't e-mailed me in years. Readers are sending me 700-word e-mails. The thing that keeps jumping out: Even fans without rooting interests have gotten swept up in this series. How can you not?

Think of all the crap we deal with as fans. "Bulls-Celtics 2009" explains why we put up with every story about Clemens and Bonds and Michael Vick and Terrell Owens and everyone else who conspires to make sports less fun. On the same day of Game 6, a story broke that Alex Rodriguez allegedly seen with human growth hormone. The story was digested and consumed in the same predictably brief cycle: Mainstream Web sites and blogs and message boards and sports radio first, then "PTI" and "Around the Horn," then "SportsCenter," then newspapers and magazines. You can either throw yourself into that cycle or look the other way. I am getting older. I just want to watch sports. I have trained myself to look the other way. This stuff clutters my brain, and not in a good way. I just want to watch sports. I just want to watch sports.

Where will amazing happen?

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Game 6 Reactions

Double-dip: Halftime (angry rant) and post-game (game recap in text message form) blog posts at BBS.

As I began this post, I receive this g-chat from Kmart: dude... love being a bulls fan
LOVE JOAKIM NOAH!!!!!!
they gave him the mic at the end of the game to which he just screamed "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"


For the record:
- Vinny sucks at inbound plays.
- The refs suck at reffing.
- Rondo should have been tossed.
- BG was more of a black hole than usual.
- Salmons and Rose played great.
- The refs suck at reffing (needs to be said twice).
- Rondo goal-tended Kirk's layup. (Prove me wrong Celtics fans)
- KG sticks his chin out like he's taking a shot in the face (you know what I'm talking about), but only when the Celtics are up. As Stacey King said: "He's a front-runner"
- JoaNoah to Paul Pierce (again quoting Stacey): "POSTER!"
- This series is epic.
- HATE. THE. CELTICS.


Now for some links ...

Net Reaction. (Click this, it's a flurry of links about the game from around the internets).


TrueHoop reaction/tribute -

When people play like Joakim Noah -- with constant energy, but not all that much polish -- the idea is that the constant effort pays off. Boy did it ever. He works a thousand straight plays trying to create havoc however he can, and comes up with not just a huge steal, but then outraces Paul Pierce to the hoop (the Celtics need an athleticism injection) for a key basket and the ensuing foul, after fouling Paul Pierce out of the game. The free throw was no small feat, either -- that point ended up changing the whole close of the game, and Noah's sometimes a wobbly foul shooter.

Recap -

One more overtime thriller has the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics headed for a Game 7. Seems only fitting for this series.


Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it's back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another instant classic in a series that had already seen its share of drama.

Reaction to a classic -

I don't know how I'm supposed to go back to watching normal basketball after this.

I've been obsessing over this game for years. I've been poring over every minute of playoff action my entire life. I've made a point to keep up on everything that happened before my time. I've seen fire, and I've seen rain. I have never seen a series like this, and we still have a game to go.

Apologies for burying the lede, but the Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics in a triple overtime classic that has left me trading text messages with shaky hands, and needing to take a shower after I finish this post. I mean that. The game was all you could ask for from the very beginning, with dozens of phenomenal plays and soul-killing mistakes on either end. This was an absolute dogfight between two teams that appear to want nothing more than to line up for a jump ball to start yet another overtime.

And then another overtime, after that.

Noah Way! -

The United Center is not breathing any easier, not even after Brad Miller hits two free throws to make it 118-115 with 16.9 seconds left. And I think you know why.

Allen is unbelievable. You have no idea when he's going to release his shot. The Bulls certainly don't. His three-pointer from the left side over a switching Kirk Hinrich touches nothing but net with 7.6 seconds left, the game tied 118-118. The Bulls bungle away the last ticks of the clock.

Triple overtime -- now there's something new.

With less than two minutes left in the third extra period, Allen hits a jumper to tie it 123-123. He has 51 points. If the Bulls are going to go out like this, what else do you do other than nod and say you witnessed greatness?

But then out of nowhere comes Joakim Noah, all 6 feet 11 inches of him, stretching out a long arm and knocking the ball loose on the defensive end, taking it all the way, dunking over Pierce for a three-point play and a 126-123 lead with 35.5 seconds left. You nod and say the kid, for all his past goofiness, deserves his props.

JoaNoah deserves it! Hopefully Bulls fans will see him for what he is now, a legit NBA Center. He has his offensive problems, but do we need that from him?! He is an energy player, who should be appreciated for his hustle and rebounds and blocked shots. It will never be pretty, but he's our kind of player, and hopefully Bulls fans will appreciate his antics for the next decade!



Wow! -

This Eastern Conference quarterfinal series has changed time zones and blood pressures, featured stunning individual performances and selfless team play and traveled through six indescribable games to lead to one fitting conclusion:

Game 7.

Win or go home. Put up or shut up. Any cliché fits for a series that has been anything but.

The Bulls forced this scintillating scenario with -- and this is not a typo -- a triple-overtime thriller, a 128-127, adjective-exhausting victory over the Celtics before an eardrum-affecting crowd of 23,430 at the United Center.

Too much -

When this thing went into overtime -- again -- we passed right through the realm of entertainment into the arena of classic.

When Game 6 at the crazed United Center between the Bulls and Celtics went into double overtime, we reached the world of mental and physical exhaustion.

And I'm talking about simply watching!

Six overtimes, and counting, in six games? With overtime No. 3 on its way? Making seven total overtimes? Series tied, heading to Boston for the Saturday finale?

If the NBA could produce more drama on a wooden floor, it would have to use gasoline and gunpowder. 'Whatever overtime it was,' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said afterward. He was trying to describe some key play, some key shot, but it was all a blur.

Recap -

Leading by eight after an 18-point run in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics looked like they were finally ready to move past the Chicago Bulls.

Instead, a classic first-round series took its most dramatic turn and is headed for a Game 7 that seems so fitting. The way things have been going, overtime seems almost a certainty.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it's back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another classic in a series that had already seen its share.

"We're starting to see a pattern with these two clubs and it's crazy," Boston's Paul Pierce
said. "It's good for the fans. It's good for the viewers. But we certainly don't like it."

Of course the whiny bitches from Boston don't like it, but our Bulls our LOVING it and enjoying it. Just ask JoaNoah -

''It's emotional -- at the same time, I understand we haven't accomplished anything yet,'' Noah said. ''I'm really excited we're still alive. We were really close to death today. ... It's such a roller coaster, but I'm having so much fun out there.''

INCREDI-BULL!!

A triple-overtime thriller. What a roller-coaster of emotions. I hated the refs. Hated Rondo. Loved Kirk. Hated ray Allen. Loved Salmons. Loved Rose. Hated the refs. Hated Ray Allen. Hated the refs. Hated Vinny. Hated the refs. Hated Vinny. LOVED Joa-Noah. Hated Kirk. Loved Rose.

Right now: hating the Celtics and HATING the refs, but LOVING the WIN!!!

I'm too happy/tired/headache/exhausted/excited/sweating to analyze this game, so the best way to do it is witha recap of texts (and some facebook updates) from throughout, [point in the game in brackets] ...

[Early in the game]
Coe (via facebook) - "the NBA should be ashamed of themselves. Not only did they blow the call during Game 5, they blew it upon review cause it was a game deciding play, and now they are calling anything and everything except not ejecting Rondo for a hook and slam. It's not even fun to watch pre-decided bullshit, I'd rather watch WWE."
Me (via facebook) - "the refs continue to ruin this game. all basketball fans are being cheated as we are forced to watch refs instead of basketball."

[After Rajon threw Kirk into the scorer's table and threw an elbow at him]
Me - "Eff you Rajon. Kirk owns your bitch-ass"
Goat (via facebook) - "that's why Kirk is my favorite NBA player"

HALFTIME - Summed things up here.

[End of regulation, after BG missed a shot in isoloation]
DC - "That's the last thing I wanted on that play ... This is the most nerve racking experience of my life"
Me - "And it's round 1 of D-Rose's Rookie year ... I've aged 38 years in 6 games"
Dru - "Why not give that to Rose and let him drive?"

[End of OT 1, Boston miss]
Me - "Wouldn't Vinny have a play ready? Why waste a timeout?"
DC - "I wasn't going to drink tonight and I'm 5 deep"

[Heading into OT 2]
DC - "Jesus effing Christ this series is bananas"
PMac - "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight"

[After Vinny's inbound "play" at the end of OT 2]
DC - "Worst coach on earth ... How do you not have a play for that?"
Me- "if we lose it's on Vinny"
DC - "And BG, he had the worst game I've ever seen him play"
Me - "But Vinny with his switching on every play"
Dr Bill - "Del negro should be embarrassed about that play call"
Me (via facebook) - "Vinny is the worst coach on earth, probably in the universe. My 4th grade coach could draw up an inbound play ... try the "line" or the "box" vinny you dumb stupid asshole. Vinny is to coaching what NBA refs are to reffing. THE WORST.
HATE. THE. CELTICS."

[Pierce jumped into crowd to save the ball]
Me - "I would stab Paul Pierce if he jumped into me"
DC - "PK yelled 'Stab him!'"

[JoaNoah's steal, fast-break and slam]
PMac - "I take back everything bad I ever said about Noah"
Dru - "Love Noah, absolutely unreal"
Rohde - "P-O-S-T-E-R"
Butts (via facebook) - Uploaded ...


[Kirk missed layup to seal the win]
All Bulls fans - "Are you kidding me?"
PMac - "I feel like I just got kicked in the nuts"


[Post game]
DC - "All that and we have to win another one"
Kmart - "I couldn;t be more drained, that took 10 years off my life"
Dr Bill - "One of the better games ever"
Goat (via facebook) - "words can't do that game justice.... but this is one of the greatest playoff series ever and that was one of the greatest NBA games ever played."
Poose - "You alive?"

Halftime Quick Hits

Slow start because the refs were calling every little thing. Salmons looking good. BG getting to the paint.

Things got heated pretty quickly when Rondo threw Kirk into the scorers table. Kirk stood up like a MAN (unlike that whiny little punk bitch Rondo). Kirk shoved him, and Rondo cocked back to punch or threw an elbow (it's hard to tell what a little bitch like that is doing because clearly he punches like a girl). Of course it was only a flagrant 1 on Rondo (I guess we're lucky it was any type of flagrant because apparently that whiny little bitch can do whatever he wants).


How do you throw someone into a scorer's table and throw an elbow - and stay in the game?? Especially only 1 game after you clothesline someone in the head and get them 7 stitches in the mouth??

Rose is hitting some jumpers.

The refs are ruining this basketball game. It's not even fun to watch with the way they are calling it. Brad Miller, T'd up for looking at a ref. There is no rhythm because the refs think people paid to see them blow their whistles.

Ray Allen is on fire. Everything is going the Celtics way and they are right back in it.



SUMMARY: The Celtics are bitches. Rondo should have been tossed. Kirk is a man. The refs are calling EVERYTHING for the Celtics. Allen has 29 for the whiny-bitches. Salmons has 18 after a quick start. Rose has 20!!



Note: Apparently Rondo did throw an elbow -

Already embroiled in controversy, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo threw an elbow at the Chicago Bulls' Kirk Hinrich late in the first quarter Thursday but was not ejected from the first-round playoff game.

An elbow got Howard suspended in the Magic-76ers series. Will the league right it's wrong from game 5 and suspend Rondo for Game 7 (for a clothesline and throwing an elbow?!) (Hint: No, apparently Rondo can do whatever he wants, ask Brad Miller's lip.)

Game 5 Reactions

Dan has already covered the angry/bitter post (and he's right, the refs did a poor job last night - but the Bulls lost that game), so I'll try to take a different spin ...

This isn't meant to read as a "we're down in the playoffs, so let's just quit" post, because I legitimately believe the Bulls can win game 6 at home, then have a coin-flip chance at game 7 in Boston. Looking back to the pre-season, if you'd have told me that we would be at this point without Luol Deng, I'd be pleasantly surprised (read: shocked!).

That being said, we've already "won" in these playoffs. The NBA, more than any other sport, has a playoff system that "requires" learning (read: losing first). Many of the great teams had to lose (multiple times) in the playoffs before getting over the hump (much in the way the 1990s Bulls had to overcome the Bad Boy Pistons).

I say we've already "won" because this series has been a great learning experience for the young guys (possibly excluding TT because VdN loves that 4 Gs and a Center line-up, or playing Brad Miller the entire 2nd half of games). D-Rose has played great (game 1) and not-so-great (game 5). But remember, he's 20 years old!! He would not even be allowed to watch these games with us in a bar if he weren't playing. Noah has made a name for himself, and established that we have a legit center.

That means we have the 2 toughest positions locked up with 2 good, young players (Rose and Noah). We have a decent (albeit overpaid) SF that can shoot (Luol), an athletic 4 who's only getting better (TT), and a scoring/slashing 2 guard (Salmons), with BG as the possible 6th man?? - that's a GREAT team going forward!

Plus, we're "learning the playoffs" as we speak. The NBA playoffs are a different animal than the NBA season, and this is a great experience for our young guys (read: Rose). We blew a 10 point lead with 6 minutes to play last night ... 3 years from now that won't happen because we will have done this all before. This has been an emotional, exciting, possibly-greatest-first-round-series-of-all-time ... no matter how this thing turns out, we fans are all lucky to watch such fun basketball, and the inexperienced Bulls are getting the experience needed for the future.


(Note: I'm still picking the Bulls in 7)




Links ...

I thought Doc Rivers said the Celtics aren't allowed to complain? But he can complain and get fined? -

Celtics coach Doc Rivers was surprised the league fined him $25,000 for comments he made Monday about the officiating in this series.

''Yeah, because the question came from you [media] guys about what the Bulls were doing,'' Rivers said. ''What can you do? I'm the personal stimulus package right now. You guys ought to take up a collection. Actually, I think it is tax-deductible, but I don't need any more deductions.''

Rivers was fined for saying referees are looking to call moving screens on Celtics center Kendrick Perkins.

I can't stress enough how much I hate this whining, bitching bunch of whiny bitches. HATE. THE. CELTICS.





And Dan was right, it was a flagrant (the Bulls are sending in the tapes -

His upper lip was swollen and cut, the blood gushing out of the corner of Brad Miller’s mouth and the Chicago Bulls’ trainer reached inside and furiously sewed those stitches. Discombobulated, dizzy, his eyes rolling back, Miller was fighting to keep his mind on the magnitude of the moment.

“I shut my eyes,” Miller said, “and waited until he told me he was done.”

Two seconds left in overtime, two free throws, after the Boston Celtics met Miller with mayhem and malice at the rim. Rajon Rondo never bothered to swing for the ball with Miller on the move, just a forearm to the face that crumpled him to the floor. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro screamed for a flagrant foul, and Miller looked like a lost soul, wandering in a fog between the bench and the free-throw line, between consciousness and confusion.

“It was just another one of the many shots to the head that haven’t been called this whole series,” Miller grumbled.

Out of nowhere, these Bulls and Celtics are playing a playoff series for the ages and, now, groggy and glassy-eyed, Miller had a chance to push the defending champions to a second OT on Tuesday night at the Garden. The Celtics wouldn’t let Ben Gordon catch an inbounds pass to beat them with a jumper, so the ball found its way to Miller at the free-throw line extended. He faked once, lost his man and had a clear path to the basket for a dunk.

Rondo hit him at the rim with two seconds left, with Kendrick Perkins closing fast. “No layups,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, and that “won the game for us.”

Miller is a career 80 percent free-throw shooter, but he never had a chance. Rondo has done everything for the Celtics, including the clocking of a 7-foot, 270-pound tractor out of Purdue.

“I don’t even know if they cleaned up all the blood around the basket,” Miller said.

Maybe it was a flagrant foul, Miller mused, but how could he tell. “I missed it,” he said. “I was getting a forearm shiver to the face.”

...

“There were arms coming from everywhere, and I knew they weren’t going for the ball,” Miller said. “I was just trying to get [the shot] up before they called some crap like ‘on the ground.’ ”

The Bulls aren’t done. Not even close. They’ve sent film to the league office on the Celtics’ physicality, Miller said, but those never go anywhere. That’s all right. This is good for the Bulls, good for the game. Another night, another epic. Pity poor Brad Miller. He had two free throws, two rims and two seconds left on Tuesday night when little Rajon Rondo had a free shot and pounded him upside that woozy head.

When it was over, Miller was drinking a bottle of water at his locker. He tipped the bottle to one side of his mouth, where there were no stitches, no blood. His knees were wrapped with ice. His eyes were glassy. There was no second overtime on Tuesday night at the Garden, but there’s still a chance for the Bulls to come back to Boston for Game 7, to take the champ’s best shot.

“We’ve got another game to play on Thursday,” Miller said. “Let’s strap it on and see what happens.”

'Painful' loss -

Brad Miller spoke slowly with stitches that had just been sewn into the inside of his lip. He made it clear, though, that he disagreed with the call that followed a swat across his face.

It was "absolutely" a flagrant foul, the backup center said after the Bulls' 106-104 overtime loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night. That would have given Chicago the ball after he took two free throws. Instead, he missed both and a chance to tie the game with 2 seconds left.

Boston, which overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series going into Thursday night's sixth game in Chicago.

Observations from Game 5 -

The Bulls had this one.

They had it … then they let it slip right through their fingertips. They had an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter; they had Ray Allen fouled out; Ben Gordon had a 17-footer to win the game. All the pieces were in place for an upset, for a 3-2 lead and then -- poof! -- they vanished faster than Vinny Del Negro's timeouts. The Bulls have played great throughout this series (minus Game 3, of course), but mentally, they aren't ready to take the next step that great teams have to take. The team is too young and hasn't figured out how to close out games yet. Here are a few other postgame observations from Game 5 …

Beaten and bloodied -

From Ben Gordon's strained hamstring to Kirk Hinrich's cut forehead and Brad Miller's lacerated mouth, the blood-pressure-challenging 53 minutes at the TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday turned out to be the anatomy of heartbreak for the Bulls in a 106-104 overtime loss to the defending-champion Boston Celtics.

The game made the Bulls-Celtics series the first in NBA playoff history to have three overtime games.

Refs (and Bulls) blew it -

I’m here for the fun . . .

Brad Miller got fouled flagrantly. It was an obvious play. It was an obvious choke by the officials.

The Bulls should’ve had Miller go to the free-throw line, his team down two with two seconds left in overtime in Game 5 on Tuesday. Miller should’ve gotten his shots and the Bulls should’ve gotten the ball out of bounds after Rajon Rondo raked Miller’s face and gave him a fat lip.

But no. It was simply a two-shot personal foul. It probably would’ve been called a flagrant foul if this game was in Chicago, or if the Bulls were the defending champions.

It wasn’t, they aren’t, and Miller missed the first shot. Now he had to miss the second. He did. He missed everything, which is an automatic change of possession. Ballgame.

But forget about that.

Remember instead that the Bulls blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Game 5 Preview & Links

Quick turnaround (and travel to Boston) after an epic Game 4, that's got to favor a younger Bulls team. Pierce has been carrying them for months, and must be tired. Rondo cannot possibly keep this up, can he? (The basketball fan in me wants to say yes, but the Bulls fan hopes NO!)

I think D-Rose and our young bigs should be able to run their bigs out of the gym (tire them out, get them some cheap fouls, etc.) Just as I said in my Game 4 Preview: "Maybe we can actually get Rose going to the hoop to get their limited bigs in foul trouble ... but is Vinny smart enough to try an actual strategy?? I'm pretty sure it will be in spite of whatever Vinny does, but I believe in D-Rose coming up big, so I've got the Bulls in a close one."

Again, they have 4 bigs available tonight, and two of them are Brian Scalabrini and Mikki Moore ... Vinny, can you please take advantage?!



Links ...


ESPN Game Preview -

Last year Boston was tied 2-2 in its series with Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit, going on to beat the Hawks and Cavaliers in seven games and the Pistons in six. They won the NBA title in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.

But that team had Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe, James Posey and P.J. Brown as part of a defensively intimidating frontcourt. In these playoffs Garnett and Powe are sidelined with knee injuries, Posey is with the New Orleans Hornets and Brown is retired.

"We're short-handed and we're trying to work our way through that," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.

The problem was compounded Sunday when starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve forward Brian Scalabrine fouled out.

Rivers said he won't allow his players to complain about fouls. Then he did that himself while dropping a hint for Tuesday night's officials.

Read that last part again: "Rivers said he won't allow his players to complain about fouls." Now try not to laugh when you watch these whiny, bitching Celtics complain all night tonight!!





Kmart beat me to linking to this great article.





Is BG playing??





And in case you forgot what Game 4 was like ...