Bulls can't believe flagrant wasn't called on Rondo

BOSTON - This play probably won't rank as high in Bulls infamy as the Hue Hollins foul call against Scottie Pippen in the 1994 playoffs against New York. But the Bulls couldn't understand why Rajon Rondo's smack to the mouth of Brad Miller with two seconds left in overtime wasn't ruled a flagrant foul on Tuesday.

"You have to go for the basketball and Rondo didn't come near the basketball," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He came right across his face. I thought it was a flagrant. I agree that it is a playoff foul, but you still have to call it."

"He had to get stitches. I think that pretty much tells it all right there," added Bulls guard Ben Gordon. "That wasn't a flagrant foul? I saw him spitting blood out on the court. To me, that's not a basketball play."

A flagrant foul would have meant 2 free throws and then the Bulls would keep possession. As a common foul, Miller merely got the free throws and left the first one short with the Bulls trailing by 2 points. He missed the second on purpose, but didn't hit the rim, resulting in a violation.

Obviously, the victorious Celtics saw the play differently.

"It was a great foul by Rondo," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "You always talk about playoff basketball - no layups."

Rondo felt he deserved a little leeway since he's a 180-pound guard.

"I'm a little guy so I had to go for the hard foul," Rondo said. "I think I hit him in the head, but I went through the arm first trying to get to the ball."

After Paul Pierce gave Boston a 2-point lead by hitting a jumper with 3.4 seconds on the clock, the Bulls set up a play where Miller set a screen for Gordon, then caught the inbounds pass. As both defenders ran toward Gordon in the corner, Miller had an open lane to the basket. After that, Miller wasn't sure what happened, except that he was spitting blood and needed stitches after the game to close a gash in his upper lip.

He acknowledged that the Celtics have successfully introduced their physical style of play against the Bulls.

"It's kind of been that way the whole series," Miller said. "If you watch the off-the-ball action by both teams on both ends, there's been a lot of tossing, a lot of scrambling and a lot of fighting in there."