Projo Sports Blog

-- The Celtics rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to send the game into overtime at 93-93.

The crowd sensed that the game was slipping away after Brad Miller gave the Bulls an 81-71 cushion on a jumper with 7:18 remaining in the game.

Then something magical happened. Everyone in the arena stood up and tried to will the Celtics back into the game. Feeding off the energy of the crowd, the Celtics did just that.

Kendrick Perkins sparked an 11-2 Celtics run with an emphatic two-handed dunk. A Rajon Rondo fast-break layup with 4:31 ended Boston's surge and slashed Chicago's lead to 83-82.

John Salmons ended Chicago's scoring drought with a 3-pointer, but Paul Pierce answered with two free throws to make it a two point game, 86-84, with 3:57 remaining.

Gordon came up with another huge 3-pointer on Chicago's ensuing possession, but Glen Davis sank a free throw, and Perkins scored on a layup to cut Chicago's lead to 89-87 with 2:42 left.

After two offensive rebounds, Derrick Rose drove through the lane and banked in a layup to put Chicago back up by four, but Rondo quickly answered with a layup on Boston's ensuing possession.

Perkins then blocked a Salmons jumper, and Rondo grabbed the loose ball, starting the fast break. He found Pierce streaking towards the basket, and he scored on a lay-in to tie the game at 91-91 with 1:13 remaining.

The Celtics forced a Rose turnover with 49.3 seconds left and immediately called a timeout. Stephon Marbury found himself wide open for a 3-pointer from the right baseline, but he passed the ball to Rondo who missed a 10-foot floating jumper.

Ben Gordon, who has been Chicago's go-to guy all series, made the Celtics pay for their poor execution when he sank a 17-foot jumper with 16.6 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 93-91 lead.

The Celtics called a timeout to draw up the game-tying shot. Pierce sank a clutch turn-around jumper over Rose with 10.5 seconds left, tying the game, but it also gave the Bulls plenty of time to score the potential game-winning points.

But Tony Allen forced Gordon into a bad shot, and he missed a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.

 Tags  Boston Celtics Chicago Bulls Rob Lee Robert Lee

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