Oh boy. Last year we took the defending champs to OT in several of the 1st round playoff games. Last night, we took a last place team to OT and got a win.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2009121204&prov=ap Boston (18-4) at Chicago (8-13) By MIKE LIPKA, STATS Writer Dec 12, 12:32 am EST Game info: 8:00 pm EST Sat Dec 12, 2009TV: NBATV, CSCH The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls went toe-to-toe in a classic first-round playoff series last April, but the teams certainly don’t look like an even matchup now. The Celtics already have one blowout win over Chicago this season, and they’ll be looking for a 10th straight victory overall as they visit the sputtering Bulls on Saturday night. Boston was playing without star forward Kevin Garnett(notes) during the 2009 postseason, and the Bulls took advantage by nearly pulling off a shocking upset of the second-seeded Celtics, who advanced only after a seven-game series that featured a total of seven overtime periods. While Boston (18-4) has returned to the top of the Eastern Conference with a healthy Garnett and a string of nine consecutive victories, Chicago has slipped closer to the bottom after losing nine of its last 11. Five of the Celtics’ last six wins have come on the road, where they are 10-1 this season after opening a three-game trip with a 104-102 win at Washington on Thursday night. Most of the team’s recent victories have been more comfortable, but Boston needed a late tiebreaking dunk from point guard Rajon Rondo(notes) to beat the Wizards. “We believe we can win games in any situation, and that’s a good sign,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. Rondo finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds as all five Boston starters scored in double figures for the third straight game. Center Kendrick Perkins(notes) leads the NBA in field-goal percentage (65.8 percent) and Rondo leads the team with 10 double-doubles, creating even more balance behind the formidable Big Three of Garnett, Paul Pierce(notes) and Ray Allen(notes). Pierce was unsatisfied with Thursday’s win after the Celtics squandered a 14-point halftime lead and allowed an opponent to score 100 points in regulation for just the fifth time this season. “We have to continue to get better,” Pierce told the NBA’s official Web site. “We try to concentrate on playing better basketball. Putting two halves together and putting four quarters together is what is important to us. Yes, we are happy that we won, but we are a little disappointed at how the way we played in the second half.” The Celtics couldn’t have been much more pleased with a 118-90 home win over the Bulls on Oct. 30, and the season hasn’t improved much for Chicago. After losing nine of their previous 10 games, including home defeats against struggling Toronto and New Jersey, the Bulls (8-13) needed overtime to take a 96-91 victory over lowly Golden State on Friday night. “We needed a win. Like I said before, it’s just the nature,” forward Luol Deng(notes) said. “You start losing your confidence, stop believing in yourself and you just want to put an end to that as soon as you can.” Chicago improved its defense, holding the Warriors to 38.1 percent shooting after the Bulls’ previous 10 opponents shot a combined 48.5 percent and averaged 106.3 points. The Bulls barely averaged 90 points in that stretch. “It’s been rough,” guard Kirk Hinrich(notes) said. “Hopefully this will get us back toward the right track of playing good basketball.” The Bulls will try to buck another trend after struggling mightily when playing on consecutive nights this season. They’ve lost the second half of all four of their back-to-backs by an average of more than 26 points. After Saturday’s game, it won’t get much easier for Chicago with the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers set to visit the United Center on Tuesday.
Key to the game, so they said during the pregame show, was the Bulls coming out strong. Miller made two baskets, and Salmons got a fast break cherry pick layup to give the Bulls a 6 points lead. Then on back to back possessions, Pierce nails threes and it's tied. Deng hit a couple FTs and then Miller threw Rondo to the floor for a 2 shot flagrant foul.
Boston's opened up a 7 point lead with Wallace, House, Allen, Sheldon Williams, and Scalabrine on the court.
At least it's not a blowout. Maybe there's a chance to keep it close for the whole game and steal it.
I guess I spoke too soon. Bulls with Rose, Noah, Deng, Gibson, Hinrich against the Celtics starters. Celtics must not want to go into the locker room only ahead by single digits. Boston quickly up 12 with 2:00 left.
Maybe the Bulls caught a break. Pierce looked hurt and the Celtics called a timeout as he went to the bench.
Bulls score with 3.9 seconds left. They let Rondo roll the ball all the way into the front court, about top of the 3pt circle, before he picked it up, took two dribbles and nailed an easy shot with Kirk nowhere near good position to challenge the shot.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/1936746,CST-SPT-bull13.article Bulls now not even close to Celtics CELTICS 106, BULLS 80 | Forget last season's tense series December 13, 2009 BY JOHN JACKSON jjackson@suntimes.com On paper, the Bulls-Celtics game Saturday night at the United Center was a rematch of last season's classic first-round playoff series. In reality, it was a mismatch between a weary, short-handed, struggling team and a deep, well-rested bunch in the midst of a hot streak. Unlike every match of the seven-game series last season, the outcome of this one was decided long before the end of regulation as Boston charged out in the second half and ran away for a 106-80 victory. The teams played a record seven overtime periods in the playoffs last season because they were evenly matched. But with Kevin Garnett back on the court, the Celtics clearly are head and shoulders above the Bulls. That reality sunk in about midway through the third quarter Saturday as the Celtics (19-4) won their 10th straight and the Bulls (8-14) lost for the 10th time in 12 games. ''We got down on ourselves a little bit when they started hitting some shots,'' center Joakim Noah said. ''We're getting down on each other a little bit. We have to stick together as a group and deal with adversity a little better. ''But we're not even close to being as good as they are right now. When you see the way they run their offense, the way they run their defense and the weapons that they have, they're a totally different team from last year.'' The Bulls, who have struggled offensively for much of the season, shot a season-low 32.6 percent (30-for-92), including 1-for-9 from three-point range. Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 19 points, Luol Deng had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Noah had a game-high 13 rebounds but was just 1-for-8 from the floor. Rajon Rondo (16 points) led seven Celtics in double figures. Garnett had 12 points (6-for-8 shooting) and 10 rebounds in only 27 minutes. ''They made shots, we didn't,'' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''We missed free throws, we turned it over a little too much, and they executed well. ''I don't think our ball movement was as good in the second half. We attacked better in the first half.'' Despite playing an overtime game the previous night in a win over Golden State, the Bulls showed energy and precision early. They went toe-to-toe with the Celtics in the first quarter and had a 24-23 lead late before Boston closed with a 6-2 spurt for a 29-26 advantage heading into the second. The Celtics opened some breathing room midway through the second with a 12-2 run for a 53-41 lead. The Bulls still were within striking distance (54-46) at halftime, but it was clear early in the second half that they didn't have the energy -- it was their fourth game in five nights -- or the firepower to overtake the Celtics. Boston broke it open with 10 straight points for an 81-61 lead late in the third quarter. That left the fourth quarter to look more like a preseason game in which the teams empty their benches. ''We played pretty hard tonight,'' Noah said. ''I don't think we can get too down on ourselves. ... it sucks to lose, but we played against a better opponent.'' There's no debating that point.
