Bulls-Celtics Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 17 2013 3:57PM

The Boston Celtics' current homestand was going well before a seemingly inferior opponent ended their season-best winning streak.

Getting back on track requires overcoming a tough challenge from one of the league's best road squads.

Boston looks to end the Chicago Bulls' four-game road winning streak when it concludes a stretch of five straight at home Friday night.

The Celtics (20-18) were outplayed by New Orleans in Wednesday's 90-78 loss that ended a six-game win streak. They shot a dismal 6 of 16 (37.5 percent) from the free throw line - their worst percentage since going 5 of 14 (35.7) in a loss to Houston on Nov. 11, 1994 - and finished 4 of 18 from 3-point range.

Boston is shooting 30.0 percent from beyond the arc in its last six.

"We refused to go in the paint," coach Doc Rivers said. "We had an electric fence around the paint. We settled for jump shots."

Boston will look to regroup after only its third home loss in its last 12 tries.

"We've just got to get back to the drawing board," said Paul Pierce, who went 1 for 7 from 3-point range. "We've been playing well of late and (we'll) try to make another run."

The Celtics have won 11 of the last 14 meetings - including the postseason - with the Bulls at TD Garden, though Chicago has won nine of 11 on the road and is an Eastern Conference-best 11-5 away from home.

Luol Deng hit a jumper with 3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Bulls (22-15) a 107-105 win at Toronto on Wednesday. Deng, who finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 101-95 home loss to Boston on Nov. 12, scored 19 against the Raptors despite hurting his hamstring in the first quarter.

He's shooting 54.4 percent over his last four games and averaging 24.0 points in his last four versus Boston.

"The guys that have been around and seen him play a lot know that's what he does - whatever you need," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You need great defense, he does that. You need a rebound in traffic, he does that. You need a big shot, he does that. To me, that's who he is. That's what makes him such a good player."

Joakim Noah, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday, posted his second career triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100-89 victory over Boston at home Dec. 18 - Chicago's sixth win in the last eight overall meetings.

The Bulls should have a good chance of earning another win in the series if Carlos Boozer continues his solid play. He had one of his conference-leading 21 double-doubles with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the last meeting with the Celtics and scored a season-high 36 points with 12 boards Wednesday.

Boozer has averaged 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 55.9 percent in helping Chicago go 6-2 this month.

"We had a tough end to 2012 and we all want to play much better in 2013 and get more wins," Boozer told the team's official website. "So far we are doing pretty well in January."

In order to keep rolling the Bulls likely will have to slow Rajon Rondo, who is averaging 21.0 points in his last five games in the series. He scored a season-high 26 in the last matchup.

Bulls extend Friday road show, beat Celtics in OT

By KEN POWTAK
Posted Jan 18 2013 11:52PM

BOSTON (AP) In the midst of a boisterous Bulls locker room, players talked about what a crazy game it was. It was only fitting that they won it on a tough, unconventional shot.

Marco Belinelli made an off-balance fadeaway with 3.1 seconds left, Jimmy Butler scored six points in overtime and Chicago extended its Friday night road show by beating the Boston Celtics 100-99.

"That's natural. I know it's a crazy shot, the fallaway. The ball went in," said Belinelli, who was given an ice bucket shower by teammate Taj Gibson.

Looking as though they were finally going to get beat in a Friday road game, Chicago pushed the game to overtime when it forced a jump ball before Kirk Hinrich hit a jumper with 2 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

Then it was the second-year Butler who carried the Bulls, scoring six straight points. Jason Terry's jumper had put Boston ahead 99-98 in OT before Belinelli's game-winner just to the left of the foul line.

"It was really fun being out there with my guys. It's crazy they have me out there," Butler said, with teammate Richard Hamilton yelling, "Way to go Jimbo!" in the background.

"They had faith in me," Butler said. "Whenever I scored a basket they kept yelling, `Keep going Jimmy!"'

Butler finished with 13 points.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 20 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 14 points and 13 boards as the Bulls won their 14th straight road game on a Friday. They haven't lost since April 2011.

"It was a crazy game. It was a roller-coaster," Hamilton said. "We made plays and thought we had it. They made plays and thought they had it."

Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 30 points for Boston before fouling out with 1:16 to play in overtime.

Kevin Garnett had 16 points and Paul Pierce passed former Celtics star Robert Parish for 22nd on the NBA's career scoring list by chipping in 13. Pierce has 23,342 points and Parish 23,334.

"We had the game in our hands a couple of times and it just slipped through our fingers both times," Pierce said. "Just the little things. It just goes to show you that little things can prove costly in this league if you are not on point throughout the whole game. They beat us tonight."

Brandon Bass added 13 points for Boston, which lost for the second time in eight games.

Hamilton had 20 points for the Bulls, who have won four of five.

The teams traded leads twice in the opening 3 minutes of overtime before Terry's 3-pointer from the right corner gave Boston a 93-92 lead with 1:57 to play. Butler had a basket on the other end to move the Bulls back in front and, after Boston missed on the offensive end, Rondo was called for a loose ball foul, sending Butler to the line. He nailed both, making it 96-93 with 1:16 left.

The Bulls had another three-point lead, 98-95, after Belinelli's two free throws with 51 seconds to go. Pierce hit two from the line and Boston forced a 24-second violation - when Belinelli fired a corner jumper off the top of the backboard, setting it up for Terry's go-ahead jumper with 12.5 seconds to play.

But Belinelli nailed his off-balance shot and Courtney Lee's long shot at the buzzer caromed off the backboard as the horn sounded.

In regulation, Rondo's long jumper from the right wing gave Boston an 86-84 edge, but Boozer hit one free throw after being fouled by Pierce on a baseline drive with 23 seconds left.

Garnett then nailed two free throws with 20.1 seconds remaining and Hinrich hit one, cutting it to 88-86.

The Bulls forced the jump ball on the defensive end with 9.4 seconds left and gained possession before tying it on Hinrich's jumper.

Garnett airballed a long fadeaway as the horn sounded, sending the game to OT.

"We talked about it - you knew they were going to trap," Boston coach Doc Rivers said, "and you've got to do whatever you can do not to get tied up."

Rondo scored five points in Boston's 6-0 run, giving the Celtics their first lead at 80-79 with 4 1/2 minutes to go.

Hamilton's layup gave the Bulls an 81-80 edge on the next possession before the teams started to trade trips to the foul line that led to pair of ties over the next 3 minutes, the last before the end of regulation when Garnett made one of two free throws to tie it at 84 with 2:20 left.

The Celtics tied it again at 79 on Rondo's two free throws a little over a minute later.

Bulls forward Luol Deng appeared to aggravate his sore right hamstring, injured in Wednesday's win at Toronto, when he came up limping after a fast-break drive to the basket late in the third quarter. He left the game for a substitute when play stopped.

After the game, Deng said he wasn't sure if he could play Saturday.

"It's pretty swollen," he said.

Boston guard Avery Bradley missed the game with a rib injury sustained in Wednesday's loss to New Orleans.

Noah had his double-double after three quarters, collecting 12 points and 10 boards. Boozer had 17 points and 15 rebounds after three.

Rondo had a highlight three-point play late in the third quarter that cut the Bulls' lead to 62-59. He was dribbling to the right of the lane when he lost his balance, falling to the floor, but kept his dribble going before getting up and driving in for a basket and a foul.

NOTES: Chicago G Derrick Rose, expected back in late February from knee surgery, participated in the team's shootaround. Deng didn't take part, but started the game. ... The Bulls play the first of four straight at home Saturday against Memphis. ... Rivers and his former assistant, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, had dinner Thursday night to celebrate Thibodeau's 55th birthday. "We went to dinner last night and the first thing I told him was, `By the way, your team is pretty good without Derrick, that's No. 1,"' Rivers said. ... Garnett and Noah were each given a technical late in the fourth.

Notebook: Bulls 100, Celtics 99

Brian Robb, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:48 PM - Updated Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:48 PM

THE FACTS: Marco Belinelli hit a go-ahead fadeaway jumper with three seconds remaining in overtime, as the Chicago Bulls escaped the TD Garden with a hard fought 100-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Richard Hamilton had a team-high 20 points for the visitors, who led by as many as 10, but had to battle back from a late deficit in regulation and overtime to overcome a season-high 30 points from Rajon Rondo. It was the third straight win overall for the Bulls, while the Celtics dropped the final two games over their five-game homestand.

QUOTABLE: "It was a dog fight. It's one of those games that was a war from the beginning. It was kind of a like a rollercoaster ride. We're just happy that we made the last shot"
-- Hamilton.

THE STAT: Despite forcing 21 turnovers by the Bulls, the Celtics were not able to translate those miscues into their own points, as they scored just seven points off those mistakes.

TURNING POINT: With 12 seconds remaining in regulation and the Bulls trailing 88-86, Joakim Noah forced a jumpball with Paul Pierce after an inbounds pass. The center won the tip easily, which enabled Kirk Hinrich to hit an open jumper on the ensuing possession and force overtime.

QUOTABLE II: "I didn't think we played very well. I didn't think we played very smart. We hung in there, which is a good sign. We made a lot of little mistakes and they won the game. They did make some unbelievable shots."
-- Boston coach Doc Rivers.

HOT: Rondo -- Boston's floor general could not be contained by the Bulls defense in the second half, pouring in 18 of his 30 points after intermission on 6-of-9 shooting.

NOT: Kevin Garnett -- The newly elected All-Star starter could not find the bottom of the net over the first three quarters, missing nine of his first ten attempts before heating up during the fourth quarter and overtime.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Noah -- The 27-year-old center has his 19th double-double of the season, posting an efficient 14 points along with 13 rebounds over a game-high 45 minutes of action.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Stevan Ridley and Patrick Chung, teammates on the New England Patriots both enjoyed the contest from courtside and received a rousing ovation from the TD Garden crowd.

ROOKIE WATCH: Jared Sullinger -- The rookie forward fared exceptionally well against a formidable Bulls front line, grabbing 15 rebounds over a season-high 38 minutes of action before fouling out in the final minute of overtime.

NOTABLE: Luol Deng left the game in the fourth quarter after aggravating a sprained hamstring. He did not return. Avery Bradley sat out with sore ribs, suffered in the loss against the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night. Leandro Barbosa started in his place. The Bulls have won 14 straight games on the road. The Celtics did not lead until the fourth quarter. Pierce passed Robert Parish for 22nd on the NBA all-time scoring list. Carlos Boozer had a season-high 20 rebounds.

UP NEXT: For Chicago, Saturday vs. Memphis, Monday vs. LA Lakers, Wednesday vs. Detroit. For Boston, Sunday @ Detroit, Tuesday @ Cleveland, Thursday vs. New York.

• Bulls: Rose
• Celtics: Melo

• Bulls: Noah
• Celtics: Garnett

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #33 Sean Corbin, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 3:00