Celtics-Bulls Preview

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted Apr 06 2011 6:50PM

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) Joakim Noah has a pretty good idea what to expect on Thursday night.

The Chicago Bulls host the Boston Celtics in a game that could have a big impact on the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and he anticipates a charged atmosphere at the United Center.

"I think it's going to be a zoo in here on Thursday," he said. "It's very exciting."

These, indeed, are exciting times in Chicago.

With 16 wins in 18 games and the No. 1 seed in reach, the Bulls haven't had it this good since the Michael Jordan championship era.

They were three games ahead of Miami and Boston at 57-20 after hanging on to beat Phoenix on Tuesday. A win over the Celtics would all but eliminate them from the race for the top seed. The Bulls would salvage a four-game split and be four games ahead of Boston four to go in the regular season.

The next tiebreaker if they finished with identical records would be conference play, and at the moment, the Celtics are 35-12 with the Bulls 34-13 against the East.

"It means a lot," veteran forward Luol Deng said. "(The top seed) gives you the homecourt, but also, just having the best record tells a lot about the kind of season you had."

Big things were expected after a major offseason overhaul that came on the heels of back-to-back 41-win seasons and first-round playoff exits.

The Bulls fired coach Vinny Del Negro and replaced him with Tom Thibodeau. They were big spenders in free agency, landing Carlos Boozer and adding depth on their bench after failing to sign LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Even so, most expected them to finish behind Boston, Miami and Orlando. Well, now look at them.

Derrick Rose is challenging for the MVP award. Thibodeau is a strong coach of the year candidate, and the Bulls are leading the East even though Boozer and Noah have missed significant chunks of the season due to injuries.

"You want to go step by step," said Thibodeau, who broke Phil Jackson's club record for wins by a first-year coach. "You focus on each game. You want to put as many things in your favor as possible. Being the highest seed possible is important. You can't say that it's not, but you have to take it step by step."

Beating Boston would be a big one.

Beyond that, though, the Bulls realize they also need to address some issues.

They were beaten on the boards for the third time in five games Tuesday, although they're still outrebounding opponents by a league-high 5.56 per game, and they let a 22-point lead in the second half dwindle to two before pulling out a 97-94 win over the Suns. Noah was a bit out of sync after missing three games with a sprained right ankle, finishing with 12 points and four rebounds.

"A lot of balls have been coming out of my hands," he said. "I have to do a better job of that."

The Bulls need to do a better job finishing off opponents. Besides the late drama with Phoenix, they had some defensive lapses against Toronto in the previous game and struggled to put away the Raptors.

"It's a lot of things we need to tighten up," Deng said. "We all know that. We're not panicking. The last few games, we've got to do a better job, especially in the second half. ... It's stuff that I'm sure we'll sort it out."

This would be a good time, with Boston coming to town.

Is it a statement game?

"No," Thibodeau, the former Celtics assistant, shot back.

It is, however, an important one.

"They're a very talented team, they're well-coached," Thibodeau said. "There's not anything that we're doing that they don't know, and there's not anything that they're doing that we don't know. It'll come down to how well we can execute and how well they can execute. They're the defending Eastern Conference champions. Until someone knocks them off, you've got to be ready to compete with them."

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Rose leads Bulls past Celtics 97-81

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted Apr 08 2011 12:06AM

CHICAGO (AP) Derrick Rose envisioned this for the Bulls when training camp started. Now Chicago is close to wrapping up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Rose scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls closed in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.

The Bulls' 17th win in 19 games put them four games up on Boston and Miami with four to play and eliminated the Heat from getting the No. 1 seed. It also gave them a four-game split with the Celtics.

Boston, which plays the Heat on Sunday, still has a mathematical shot at the top spot albeit a remote one. But barring a collapse, Chicago will be the top seed in the East.

It's another step for a team that expected big things after a major overhaul, and all the Bulls have done is deliver their best season since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made championship celebrations a regular event.

"I always said that we could compete with some of the best teams in the NBA," Rose said. "At training camp and in the beginning of the year, I thought my team's ready to fight. I just saw what we were going through in training camp. Guys were keyed in and focused, making sure that they came in very, very hungry, wanting to win."

Rose was a one-man highlight reel against Rajon Rondo, beating him with his crossover and getting to the rim, particularly in the early going. Rose scored 16 points in the first half as the Bulls jumped out to a 48-43 lead, and Chicago regrouped after momentarily falling behind in the third.

Luol Deng scored 23 points, and Carlos Boozer added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

"Like it or not these are probably the guys who we'll meet in the conference finals or wherever," Rondo said.

Chicago outscored the Celtics 44-22 in the paint, outrebounded them 44-35 and held Boston to 38.4 percent shooting. The Bulls didn't let up, either, after struggling to put away Toronto and Phoenix in back-to-back games.

"I think offensively, we've been pretty good for about 10 games now," said coach Tom Thibodeau, the former Celtics assistant. "Defensively, we've been sporadic. We've played well the first half, not well in the second half. I thought tonight was more of a complete game for us."

Paul Pierce led Boston with 15 points. Kevin Garnett scored all 10 of his points in the second half and Rondo scored his seven over the final two quarters.

Jeff Green finished with 10 and Ray Allen had seven points.

"We've got to be better than this," Garnett said. "No way we can come out and put an effort like this in a game this big."

Rondo said, "This better be a wakeup call. If not, we won't make it far."

The Bulls led 48-43 at the half when Pierce made a jumper and Rondo hit his first two baskets to give Boston a one-point lead, but the Bulls responded by running off 10 straight.

It was 61-58 after Glen Davis hit two free throws with just over three minutes left in the quarter when the Bulls started a 13-2 run that stretched into the fourth.

Deng started the spurt with a 3, and he followed a layup by Boozer off a turnover with a steal and layup to make it 68-58 with 1:31 left. Davis hit two free throws for Boston. But Rose made a 3 with 23 seconds left in the quarter, and Boozer added a three-point play 45 seconds into the fourth to boost Chicago's lead to 74-60.

Not only were the Bulls facing one of the top teams in the East, they also honored Pippen by unveiling a sculpture of him during a halftime ceremony, a fitting tribute to a Hall of Famer who helped them win six championships.

How far can this group go? That remains to be seen.

Rose is sure of one thing, though.

"We can play," he said. "We can play a little bit."

NOTES: A Bulls spokesman said chairman Jerry Reinsdorf left a message for Grant Hill and spoke to his mother for about 15 minutes, telling her he regretted an incident that happened after Tuesday's game against the Suns. Hill had told the Arizona Republic that a fan spat on and cursed him. ... Boston coach Doc Rivers said he thinks Shaquille O'Neal will be healthy for the playoffs, but isn't sure what to expect from him. The 15-time All-Star missed his second straight game with a strained right calf.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Celtics-Bulls notebook

By Kent McDill, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday April 7, 2011 11:55PM

THE FACTS: The Chicago Bulls dominated the second half and ran off to a 97-81 victory over the Boston Celtics Thursday at the United Center. Derrick Rose finished with 30 points and eight assists for the Bulls, while Luol Deng added 23 points and Carlos Boozer had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined for just 32 points on 12 of 33 shooting against the league's top defense.

THE FACTS II: The victory raised the Bulls to a 58-20 record, four games better than the 54-24 Celtics with four games remaining.

QUOTABLE: "We got our ass kicked tonight. I haven't recalled that in a while."
-- Boston forward Kevin Garnett

THE STAT: After making three of their first four shots in the third quarter, the Celtics were 9-for-34 (26 percent) the rest of the game.

THE STAT II: The Celtics had 11 turnovers, nine of them on Bulls steals. Taj Gibson was credited with three steals.

TURNING POINT: The Bulls led 48-43 at halftime, but Boston scored the first six points of the second half to take the lead. The Bulls then scored the next 10 points to go ahead 58-49.

THE MOMENT: In the first quarter, Rose got past defender Rajon Rondo, then sliced through two interior defenders before making a scoop layup inside for one of his best moves of the season.

INJURY UPDATE: Bulls guard Keith Bogans, who has started every game this season, played Thursday despite missing practice Wednesday with a knee injury. Center Joakim Noah did not play the final 15 minutes as his recently sprained right ankle was re-taped.

HOT: The Bulls, who have struggled at the free-throw line this season, made 14 of 15 freebies, with Rose going 10-for-10.

NOT: On a night of bad shooting for everyone in green, Rondo added to the woes by going 3-for-10 from the field for seven points.

QUOTABLE II: "I'm just thinking about the next one. You guys may think it is a cliché and maybe it is a cliché, but it is what's important. The Cleveland game is just as important as this game. It's actually more important now because this one is gone. "
-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau

GOOD MOVE: The Bulls used five players (Boozer, Noah, Kurt Thomas, Gibson and Omer Asik) defensively against Kevin Garnett, who scored just 10 points in 30 minutes.

BAD MOVE: The Celtics came out with good energy to start the second half, but as soon as the Bulls went on a 10-0 run to regain the lead, the Celtics backed off in terms of aggressiveness.

NOTABLE: At halftime, a bronze bust of Bulls Hall of Fame forward Scottie Pippen was unveiled by the team. The new bust, which details a likeness of Pippen from the waist up, is colorful, with him wearing a red jersey No. 33 with black writing. As fans cheered during the ceremony, Pippen got on the microphone and asked the fans "So, what do you think?"

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Friday @ Cleveland, Sunday @ Orlando, Tuesday @ New York. For the Celtics, Friday vs. Washington, Sunday @ Miami, Monday @ Washington.

• Celtics: Bradley, O'Neal, Wafer
• Bulls: Lucas, Pargo, Scalabrine

• Celtics: Davis, Pierce
• Bulls: Thomas

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #16 David Guthrie, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 23067
• Duration: 2:18

Boston Celtics (54-24)		Chicago Bulls (58-20)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Noah vs O'Neal (Rose gains possession)
Pierce Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	11:39
	11:39 [CHI 1-0]	Deng Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	11:39 [CHI 2-0]	Deng Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:23 [BOS 2-2]
	11:03	Deng Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:02
O'Neal Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	10:48 [BOS 4-2]
	10:26 [CHI 4-4]	Boozer Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rose (1 AST)
Allen Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rondo (1 AST)	10:09 [BOS 6-4]
	09:51	Noah Turnover : 3 Second Violation (1 TO)
O'Neal Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (2 AST)	09:35 [BOS 8-4]
	09:25	Team Timeout : Short
	09:13 [CHI 6-8]	Rose Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed	09:04
	09:03	Noah Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	08:44 [CHI 9-8]	Bogans 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Boozer (1 AST)
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Missed	08:23
	08:22	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	08:12	Rose Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	08:11
Pierce Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	08:02
	08:01	Noah Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	07:50	Noah Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (1 BLK)
Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:48
Rondo Jump Shot: Missed	07:40
	07:39	Noah Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	07:17	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
	07:15	Noah Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	07:15 [CHI 11-8]	Noah Tip Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	06:58
	06:57	Bogans Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	06:41	Deng Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	06:40
	06:34	Boozer Foul : Personal (1 PF)
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis	06:34
Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed	06:15
	06:14	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	06:02	Deng Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Garnett (1 ST)
Allen Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS)	05:52 [BOS 10-11]
	05:35	Deng Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	05:34
	05:26	Deng Foul : Personal (1 PF)
	05:26	Team Timeout : Regular
Pierce Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Rose (1 ST)	05:19
	05:14 [CHI 13-10]	Rose Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Noah (1 AST)
Garnett Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pierce (1 AST)	04:56 [BOS 12-13]
	04:37	Rose 3pt Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	04:36
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed Block: Boozer (1 BLK)	04:13
Team Rebound	04:13
Team Turnover : Shot Clock Turnover	04:13
Davis Technical	04:03
	04:03 [CHI 14-12]	Rose Free Throw Technical (5 PTS)
Allen Substitution replaced by Green	04:03
	03:52	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	03:51
Green Layup Shot: Missed	03:46
	03:44	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	03:38 [CHI 17-12]	Bogans 3pt Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Rose (2 AST)
Davis Jump Shot: Missed	03:12
	03:10	Noah Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	03:01	Boozer Foul : Offensive (2 PF)
	03:01	Boozer Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
Garnett Substitution replaced by Krstic	03:01
	03:01	Bogans Substitution replaced by Brewer
	03:01	Boozer Substitution replaced by Gibson
	03:01	Noah Substitution replaced by Thomas
	02:49	Deng Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Team Timeout : Regular	02:49
	02:49	Deng Substitution replaced by Korver
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (3 AST)	02:42 [BOS 14-17]
	02:23 [CHI 19-14]	Gibson Hook Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Brewer (1 AST)
	02:04	Rose Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Green Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	02:04 [BOS 15-19]
Green Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	02:04 [BOS 16-19]
Pierce Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	01:54
	01:54 [CHI 20-16]	Rose Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)
Pierce Technical	01:54
Pierce Substitution replaced by West	01:54
	01:54 [CHI 21-16]	Rose Free Throw Technical (7 PTS)
	01:54 [CHI 22-16]	Rose Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)
West Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Gibson (1 ST)	01:36
	01:25 [CHI 24-16]	Thomas Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rose (3 AST)
West 3pt Shot: Missed	01:04
	01:03	Gibson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	00:55.2 [CHI 26-16]	Rose Driving Jump shot: Made (10 PTS)
Krstic Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rondo (4 AST)	00:34.8 [BOS 18-26]
	00:23.9	Rose 3pt Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	00:22.9
Rondo Jump Shot: Missed	00:01.0
Team Rebound	00:00.0
End of 1st Quarter
Boston Celtics (54-24)		Chicago Bulls (58-20)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
West Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Gibson (2 ST)	11:42
	11:30 [CHI 29-18]	Korver 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Watson (1 AST)
Team Timeout : Short	11:21
Green Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Brewer (1 ST)	11:06
	10:50	Gibson Jump Shot: Missed
Krstic Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:49
West Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	10:34 [BOS 20-29]
	10:21	Watson Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)
	10:09	Korver Violation:Kicked Ball
West Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Gibson (3 ST)	10:01
Allen Foul : Loose Ball (1 PF)	10:01
	09:40 [CHI 31-20]	Gibson Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Green Hook Shot: Made (4 PTS)	09:24 [BOS 22-31]
	09:04	Gibson Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
Green Jump Shot: Missed	08:44
Green Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	08:42
Green Tip Shot: Made (6 PTS)	08:42 [BOS 24-31]
	08:24 [CHI 33-24]	Watson Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Korver (1 AST)
Davis Jump Shot: Missed Block: Gibson (1 BLK)	08:06
Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	08:04
Krstic Layup Shot: Missed	08:00
Krstic Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	07:59
	07:59	Korver Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	07:59
Krstic Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	07:59 [BOS 25-33]
Krstic Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	07:59 [BOS 26-33]
	07:41	Watson 3pt Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	07:39
West 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Allen (1 AST)	07:33 [BOS 29-33]
	07:12	Korver 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	07:12
	07:12	Asik Substitution replaced by Boozer
West Jump Shot: Missed	06:56
	06:55	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	06:44	Korver Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
	06:44	Brewer Substitution replaced by Deng
	06:36	Korver Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Krstic Substitution replaced by Garnett	06:36
	06:36	Gibson Substitution replaced by Noah
	06:36	Watson Substitution replaced by Rose
Davis Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: West (1 AST)	06:26 [BOS 31-33]
	06:09 [CHI 35-31]	Rose Driving Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS)
Green Hook Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Davis (1 AST)	05:58 [BOS 33-35]
	05:32 [CHI 37-33]	Rose Floating Jump shot: Made (14 PTS)
	05:13	Noah Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	05:13	Team Timeout : Regular
Green Substitution replaced by Pierce	05:13
West Substitution replaced by Rondo	05:13
Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	05:13 [BOS 34-37]
Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	05:13 [BOS 35-37]
	04:56	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	04:54
Pierce Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Boozer (1 ST)	04:48
	04:32	Deng 3pt Shot: Missed
	04:31	Noah Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
	04:28	Noah Layup Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	04:25
Allen Layup Shot: Missed	04:17
	04:13	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	04:10 [CHI 39-35]	Rose Driving Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS)
Garnett Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Rondo (5 AST)	03:42 [BOS 37-39]
	03:24 [CHI 41-37]	Boozer Hook Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Noah (2 AST)
Davis Hook Shot: Missed	03:02
	03:00	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)
	02:47 [CHI 44-37]	Deng 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Rose (4 AST)
	02:34	Deng Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Team Timeout : Regular	02:34
Davis Substitution replaced by O'Neal	02:34
	02:34	Deng Substitution replaced by Brewer
Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	02:34 [BOS 38-44]
Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	02:34 [BOS 39-44]
	02:14 [CHI 46-39]	Brewer Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Boozer (2 AST)
Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)	01:49 [BOS 41-46]
	01:29	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
	01:26	Brewer Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	01:26	Brewer Tip Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	01:26
	01:15	Noah Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)	01:15 [BOS 42-46]
	01:15	Noah Substitution replaced by Thomas
Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (10 PTS)	01:15 [BOS 43-46]
	00:59.9	Brewer Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	00:58.8
O'Neal Layup Shot: Missed	00:41.9
	00:40.9	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)
	00:30.5	Rose Driving Layup Shot: Missed
	00:30.5	Brewer Rebound (Off:2 Def:0)
	00:30.5 [CHI 48-43]	Brewer Putback Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed	00:12.8
	00:11.9	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)
Rondo Foul : Personal (1 PF)	00:03.6
Pierce Substitution replaced by Green	00:03.6
	00:00.5	Korver Jump Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 2nd Quarter
Boston Celtics (54-24)		Chicago Bulls (58-20)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)	11:35 [BOS 45-48]
	11:14	Deng 3pt Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	11:13
O'Neal Jump Shot: Missed	11:05
	11:03	Rose Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	10:51	Deng Running Layup Shot: Missed
Pierce Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:49
Rondo Running Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)	10:45 [BOS 47-48]
	10:17	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	10:16
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS)	10:11 [BOS 49-48]
	10:11	Rose Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Rondo Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed	10:11
	10:09	Bogans Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	10:02 [CHI 50-49]	Deng Running Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Rose (5 AST)
Garnett Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	09:40
	09:24	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (2 BLK)
	09:23	Rose Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	09:19	Rose 3pt Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)	09:18
Rondo Layup Shot: Missed	09:15
Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	09:12
Rondo Layup Shot: Missed Block: Deng (1 BLK)	09:11
Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	09:08
O'Neal Jump Shot: Missed	08:59
	08:58	Boozer Rebound (Off:0 Def:9)
O'Neal Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	08:41
	08:41 [CHI 51-49]	Rose Free Throw 1 of 2 (17 PTS)
	08:41 [CHI 52-49]	Rose Free Throw 2 of 2 (18 PTS)
Pierce Jump Shot: Missed	08:17
	08:16	Rose Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	08:08	Rose Floating Jump shot: Missed
	08:06	Boozer Rebound (Off:1 Def:9)
	08:04 [CHI 54-49]	Boozer Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	07:40
	07:39	Bogans Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	07:21	Boozer Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed
Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	07:20
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Missed	07:12
Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)	07:11
Garnett Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed	07:05
	07:01	Deng Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	06:58 [CHI 56-49]	Deng Dunk Shot: Made (9 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	06:57
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis	06:57
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	06:32
	06:31	Boozer Rebound (Off:1 Def:10)
	06:15 [CHI 58-49]	Rose Driving Layup Shot: Made (20 PTS)
	06:02	Bogans Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	05:51
	05:50	Bogans Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	05:47	Bogans Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Rondo (1 ST)
Pierce Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Allen (2 AST)	05:39 [BOS 51-58]
	05:21 [CHI 60-51]	Deng Running Jump Shot: Made (11 PTS)
Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	05:04
	05:01	Rose Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	05:00	Rose Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Garnett (2 ST)
	04:57	Bogans Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	04:57
Team Rebound	04:57
Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)	04:57 [BOS 52-60]
	04:39	Rose Floating Jump shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)	04:38
Rondo Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Garnett (1 AST)	04:35 [BOS 54-60]
	04:10	Boozer Layup Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:9)	04:09
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	03:50
	03:48	Deng Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	03:42	Bogans 3pt Shot: Missed
Pierce Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	03:40
Allen Alley Oop Layup shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Rondo (6 AST)	03:35 [BOS 56-60]
	03:35	Team Timeout : Regular
	03:35	Bogans Substitution replaced by Brewer
Garnett Substitution replaced by Krstic	03:35
Davis Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	03:19
	03:19	Noah Substitution replaced by Thomas
	03:19	Boozer Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	03:19	Team Rebound
	03:19 [CHI 61-56]	Boozer Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)
	03:02	Thomas Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	03:02 [BOS 57-61]
Allen Substitution replaced by Green	03:02
Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	03:02 [BOS 58-61]
	02:49	Thomas Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)
Krstic Foul : Offensive (1 PF)	02:39
Krstic Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	02:39
	02:22 [CHI 64-58]	Deng 3pt Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Rose (6 AST)
Pierce Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Brewer (2 ST)	02:06
	01:57 [CHI 66-58]	Boozer Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Deng (1 AST)
Pierce Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Deng (1 ST)	01:36
	01:31 [CHI 68-58]	Deng Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS)
	01:17	Thomas Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	01:17 [BOS 59-68]
Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	01:17 [BOS 60-68]
	00:59.9	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
Green Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	00:57.9
Davis Jump Shot: Missed	00:35.9
	00:33.9	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	00:23.4 [CHI 71-60]	Rose 3pt Shot: Made (23 PTS)
Rondo Driving Finger Roll Layup Shot: Missed	00:00.5
Team Rebound	00:00.0
End of 3rd Quarter
Boston Celtics (54-24)		Chicago Bulls (58-20)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
	11:47	Rose Foul : Offensive Charge (3 PF)
	11:47	Rose Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	11:28
	11:25	Rose Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	11:15 [CHI 73-60]	Boozer Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS)
Green Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	11:15
	11:15 [CHI 74-60]	Boozer Free Throw 1 of 1 (12 PTS)
	11:00	Boozer Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)	11:00 [BOS 61-74]
Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	11:00 [BOS 62-74]
	10:43 [CHI 76-62]	Boozer Jump Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Rose (7 AST)
Davis Jump Shot: Missed Block: Thomas (1 BLK)	10:19
	10:17	Boozer Rebound (Off:1 Def:11)
	09:56	Deng 3pt Shot: Missed
	09:56	Team Rebound
Davis Foul : Loose Ball (2 PF)	09:56
	09:56	Thomas Technical
Allen Free Throw Technical (7 PTS)	09:56 [BOS 63-76]
	09:41 [CHI 78-63]	Deng Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS) Assist: Rose (8 AST)
Green Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS)	09:21 [BOS 65-78]
Krstic Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	09:09
Krstic Substitution replaced by Garnett	09:09
	09:09 [CHI 79-65]	Rose Free Throw 1 of 2 (24 PTS)
	09:09	Brewer Substitution replaced by Korver
	09:09 [CHI 80-65]	Rose Free Throw 2 of 2 (25 PTS)
Davis Jump Shot: Missed	08:47
	08:46	Deng Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	08:29	Rose Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (3 TO)
	08:29
Davis Substitution replaced by O'Neal	08:29
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	08:13
	08:11	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	07:55	Boozer Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:10)	07:53
West Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS)	07:41 [BOS 67-80]
	07:23	Boozer Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (2 TO)
Green Substitution replaced by Pierce	07:23
	07:05	Thomas Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
	07:05	Boozer Substitution replaced by Gibson
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	07:05 [BOS 68-80]
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	07:05
	07:04	Deng Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	06:44	Thomas Jump Shot: Missed
	06:43	Deng Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	06:41	Deng Layup Shot: Missed
	06:39	Gibson Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	06:35 [CHI 82-68]	Korver Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Gibson (1 AST)
West Jump Shot: Missed	06:19
	06:18	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	06:02	Gibson Jump Shot: Missed Block: Pierce (1 BLK)
Pierce Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	05:59
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	05:49
	05:48	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	05:32	Korver 3pt Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	05:31
Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed	05:19
	05:18	Gibson Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	05:03 [CHI 85-68]	Rose 3pt Shot: Made (28 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	05:02
	05:02	Rose Substitution replaced by Watson
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis	05:02
West Substitution replaced by Rondo	05:02
Davis Layup Shot: Missed	04:47
	04:46	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
Allen Foul : Personal (2 PF)	04:28
	04:20	Watson 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	04:19
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	04:08
	04:07	Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	03:53	Korver 3pt Shot: Missed
Pierce Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	03:52
Pierce Running Jump Shot: Missed	03:44
Rondo Rebound (Off:3 Def:2)	03:40
Pierce 3pt Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Garnett (2 AST)	03:35 [BOS 71-85]
	03:12 [CHI 87-71]	Gibson Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Thomas (1 AST)
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	02:53
Davis Rebound (Off:2 Def:1)	02:52
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (15 PTS) Assist: Davis (2 AST)	02:51 [BOS 73-87]
	02:51	Team Timeout : Regular
Pierce Substitution replaced by Pavlovic	02:51
Garnett Substitution replaced by Murphy	02:51
Allen Substitution replaced by Green	02:51
Rondo Substitution replaced by Krstic	02:51
Davis Substitution replaced by West	02:51
	02:51	Gibson Substitution replaced by Rose
	02:51	Watson Substitution replaced by Boozer
	02:35	Deng Jump Shot: Missed
	02:34	Deng Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
	02:28	Korver 3pt Shot: Missed
Krstic Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	02:26
Green Jump Shot: Missed Block: Deng (2 BLK)	02:19
Team Rebound	02:19
Pavlovic Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	02:10 [BOS 75-87]
	01:45 [CHI 89-75]	Deng Jump Shot: Made (20 PTS) Assist: Korver (2 AST)
West Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (9 PTS)	01:32 [BOS 77-89]
	01:16 [CHI 92-77]	Deng 3pt Shot: Made (23 PTS) Assist: Korver (3 AST)
Pavlovic Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Rose (2 ST)	01:00
West Foul : Personal (1 PF)	00:59.3
	00:59.3 [CHI 93-77]	Rose Free Throw 1 of 2 (29 PTS)
	00:59.3 [CHI 94-77]	Rose Free Throw 2 of 2 (30 PTS)
	00:46.4	Deng Foul : Personal (4 PF)
	00:46.4	Rose Substitution replaced by Watson
	00:40.5	Thomas Foul : Shooting (4 PF)
Murphy Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	00:40.5 [BOS 78-94]
	00:40.5	Thomas Substitution replaced by Gibson
	00:40.5	Deng Substitution replaced by Butler
Murphy Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	00:40.5 [BOS 79-94]
	00:27.0 [CHI 97-79]	Butler 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Watson (2 AST)
	00:19.3	Boozer Foul : Personal (4 PF)
	00:19.3	Boozer Substitution replaced by Asik
Krstic Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	00:19.3 [BOS 80-97]
Krstic Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	00:19.3 [BOS 81-97]
End of 4th Quarter

broadcast information
country		channel			time
usa			TNT	National	8:00 pm ET
		--	WMVP	Local	8:00 pm ET
		--	WEEI	Local	8:00 pm ET
canada			TSN2	national	8:00 pm ET