Chicago Bulls Notes, Quotes 2009-04-30 News Chicago Bulls

--G Ben Gordon kept the fans in suspense for most of the day before finally deciding about an hour before tipoff that he'd play in Game 5 despite a painful left hamstring strain suffered two days earlier. Gordon ended up logging nearly 51 minutes in the overtime loss. He didn't shoot well but did lead the Bulls with 26 points. "I shot 6 for 21, so (the hamstring) definitely didn't have a good effect," Gordon said. "But I think this was still a very winnable game, regardless of how I shot the ball. I took some painkillers, still couldn't really push off the way I wanted to. But once you're out there, nobody cares if you're injured or not. So I just tried to give it everything I had and tried to give us a chance to win."

--C Joakim Noah has risen to the occasion in his first trip to the NBA playoffs. Through Game 5, he was averaging 12.4 rebounds, 11.0 points and 2.4 blocks. He also doesn't seem to mind being the target of taunts when the Bulls play in Boston. Before Game 5, Celtics coach Doc Rivers compared the emotional and sometimes flamboyant Noah to ex-Bulls instigator Dennis Rodman. "He does so many little things," Rivers said. "I don't want to put him that category of a (Dennis) Rodman, but everybody always got caught up in Rodman's antics. They always forgot what he did on the floor with his rebounds and his defense and his energy and his passing. We know exactly what (Noah) is; he's a good player."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I thought for sure it would be a flagrant foul. The game is over with now. Things like this happen in the NBA, but what are you going to do? You have to continue to play. We have a Game 6 on Thursday, so I'm looking forward to that." -- Guard Ben Gordon on the hard foul delivered to Brad Miller by Boston guard Rajon Rondo with two seconds left in overtime of Game 5.