If ever the Bulls had reason to be angry heading into a playoff game, this would be it. They'll face Boston in Game 6 at the United Center on Thursday needing a win to keep the series alive.
The Bulls should be mad at themselves for losing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 5 at Boston on Tuesday. They still had a shot to win at the end of regulation, but Ben Gordon missed a 20-foot jumper. They were also mad that a flagrant foul wasn't called when center Brad Miller drove to the hoop looking for the tying basket and was smacked in the face by Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. Miller was spitting up blood after the play and later needed stitches to close a gash in his upper lip.
But it was only a common foul, and a dazed Miller missed the resulting free throws that could have tied the score with two seconds left. This was latest of several hard fouls the Bulls have endured in this series, but Boston has been given just one flagrant foul in the first five games.
"We've got a lot of guys getting head shots this series, a whole lot of them, and it hasn't been a flagrant," Miller said. "Everybody's had to shake off these high hits they've been putting on us."
The only thing the Bulls can do now is regroup and play better at home on Thursday. A win at the United Center would force Game 7 in Boston on Saturday. This is already the first playoff series in NBA history to feature three overtime games.
"Maybe when you look back on it, you'll realize how good a series it's been," guard Kirk Hinrich said. "Right now we're just caught in the moment trying to win. We just have to be mentally tough and do whatever we can to get the job done (in Game 6)."
CELTICS 106, BULLS 104 (OT): The Bulls had a great chance to take command of this first-round series against Boston but couldn't hold an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost in overtime Tuesday at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 set for Thursday at the United Center. The Bulls' lead stood at 10 points with seven minutes remaining, but Boston came back and tied the score at 91-91 with 1:13 left. Ben Gordon's jumper gave the Bulls a two-point edge with 16.6 seconds left before Celtics forward Paul Pierce hit a foul-line jumper a few seconds later. Gordon missed a 20-footer at the end of the fourth quarter. Pierce then hit three straight long jumpers in overtime, the third breaking a 104-104 tie with 3.4 seconds left. Bulls center Brad Miller was fouled with two seconds on the clock but missed both free throws.
